Linotype Mechanism 

Alvin G. Swank Raymond Means 

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 






















LINOTYPE MECHANISM 


By Alvin G. Swank and 
Raymond Means 


Published by 
SWANK AND MEANS 
729 N. Bosart Ave. 
Indianapolis, Indiana 






COPYRIGHTED 1924 
PRINTED IN U. S. A. 


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NOV 24 *24 




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Preface 

Changes and improvements on the Linotype have been 
frequent in the past, and will probably continue to be so in 
r* the future. For this reason students, operators, machinists, 
< 3 — and owners should keep themselves posted on all matters 
pertaining to the Linotype. The only way this can be 

J accomplished is by reading, studying, and observing. All 
books, pamphlets, or trade journals dealing with printing 
should be carefully read, and the articles pertaining to im¬ 
provements on typesetting machinery should be carefully 
studied. Pamphlets or trade journals will either be dis¬ 
carded or lost; whereas a book will be placed on the desk, 
bench, or in the pocket of the one who desires to be well 
informed of things dealing with the machine. Frequent 
reading or reference will refresh the memory on minor 
points forgotten or overlooked. 

This book has been produced as an endeavor to furnish 
a much-needed text or reference book for the aid of the 
Linotype student, the user, and the experienced worker. 
Simple terms, which will enable the student to grasp the 
fundamentals quickly, have been used throughout the book, 
but when the name of a part is necessary, the catalog name 
is used. No illustrations are used, as the book is intended 
for use where the actual machine is available for study, 
and the parts may be seen. The main parts of the machine 
are listed with a description of their action and function. 
Mechanical troubles that are common to the Linotype are 
mentioned, together with helpful suggestions for their 
remedy. All adjustments necessary to the proper care of 
the machine are listed. The user of Linotypes will find help¬ 
ful hints as to the care and adjustments of the machines. 

In the schools using machines, this book will fill a long- 
felt want. It is the first attempt to write a text book of 
this nature that can be used in lesson form. The class 
schedule will lead the student to a systematic study of the 
machine. The text matter is so arranged that the student 
is led in a natural way through the things he should know 
first. With the schedule arrangement the instructor is 
enabled to arrange his mechanism classes at any hour or as 
many hours as he desires. 






















































































































































































THE KEYBOARD 


The linotype keyboard is power driven and mechanically 
operated, the operator merely touching the keybutton 
lightly to get a matrix. The keyboard and escapement 
mechanism consists of ninety-one mechanical units, or series 
of levers, escapements, and cams—one series for each key on 
the keyboard. 

The keyboard consists of the frame; the keylevers, 
extending through the slots to the back of the keyboard 
frame; the keylever fulcrum rods, which are the pivot rods 
for the keylevers; the keybars, that groove into the rear 
end of the keylevers; keybar banking bar, (fastened to the 
right- and left-hand keyboard posts), holding the keybars in 
place; and the keyboard locking bar. The various parts of 
the keyboard are held in their respective places by the key¬ 
board frame. 

Mounted on the top, at the rear of the keyboard, are 
the two cam yoke frames. The keyboard cam yoke frames 
contain the cams and the cam yokes, assembled; the cam 
yoke triggers; the cam stop strips; the hinge rods; the key¬ 
board cam rubber roll shafts, with the pulleys or the gears 
and friction springs; and the rubber rolls, assembled. The 
frames are fastened to the keyboard posts by a screw at 
each end of the frame, which extends through the rubber 
roll shaft brackets. Both the frames are equipped with 
cover pans. 

The keyboard action for releasing a matrix from the 
magazine is as follows: When the keybutton is depressed 
it lowers the outer end of the keylever, raising the back end. 
The keylever raises the keybar. The keybar raises the lower 
end of the trigger, causing the upper end to tilt. This allows 
the free end of the cam yoke to drop, causing the cam to 
engage the revolving rubber roll. The cam is revolved by 
the rubber roll, and as it reaches the high point it raises 
the free end of the cam yoke. This end of the cam yoke 


3 


engages the keyrod and causes it to be raised. The keyrod 
operates the escapement mechanism in the magazine and 
releases the matrix. 


Keyboard Parts 

The keylevers extend through slots in the keyboard 
frame and are pivoted near their center by the fulcrum rods. 
The front end of the keylevers carry the keybuttons and 
the back ends fit into notches in the keybars. 

The keybars are held in place on the back of the 
keyboard by the banking bar and the upper and lower key- 
bar guides. The keybars have notches on the upper end into 
which the triggers set. Also there are notches into which 
the keylevers extend. These notches are cut at different 
points on each six keybars, to correspond with the point at 
which the keylever protrudes through the frame. 

On the late model machines the keybars are made with 
notches so they will fit in any alternate position, each bar 
having three notches, any one of which will register with 
the keylever. In removing the bars for cleaning, always 
take them off in groups of six and keep them in order so 
that no difficulty will be experienced in replacing them. It 
is always better to replace each bar in its original place 
after having them off. 

The keyboard locking bar extends across the back of 
the keyboard, just above a shoulder on the keybars. When 
this bar is forced down it prevents the keybar from being 
raised, thus locking the keyboard. 

Keyboard Cams and Parts 

The keyboard cams are small, brass, non-circular or 
eccentric pieces and are used to raise the cam yokes to 
operate the keyrods. The cams are pivoted and held in 
place in cam yokes. The outer end of the cam yokes are 
pivoted to the frame, while the inner ends are left free to 
move up or down in slots in the frame, directly underneath 
the keyrods. 

When the cams are setting at normal, the free end of 
the yokes are supported by the pivoted triggers, which set 
directly beneath the yokes. When a trigger is moved by 


4 


the keybar, it allows the free end of the yoke to drop, carry¬ 
ing the cam against the revolving rubber roll. The low part 
of the cam has small teeth cut in it, so when it drops on the 
revolving rubber roll, it is caused to turn. When the high 
part of the revolving cam is on the rubber roll, the free end 
of the cam yoke is raised to its highest point, raising the 
keyrod. 

There are ninety-one cams and yokes in a keyboard. In 
order to get the cams in the smallest possible space, forty- 
five of them are located in the front frame, and forty-six 
in the back frame. The cam on the right-hand end of the 
back row is used to operate the spaceband lever. 

A stop strip is fastened by means of six screws to each 
cam frame in such a manner that the small cross pins in 
the revolving cams come in contact with small pins which 
extend downward, stopping the cams after their revolution 
and holding them in normal position. The front strip has 
forty-five teeth and the rear strip has forty-six teeth; there¬ 
fore they are not interchangeable. The strip should be 
located so the teeth do not bind the sides of the cams. 

The top row of keys on the keyboard operate the cams 
in the back frame, the keys in the second row operate the 
cams in the front frame, the third in the back, etc., alter¬ 
nating for each row, so when tracing keyboard troubles it 
is known in which frame an offending cam will be found. 

Several types of cam yokes have been manufactured for 
the various models of machines. Some are made of brass, 
others are stamped out of steel, while still another kind is 
milled out of a solid piece of steel. Different methods of 
fastening the pivoted end of the yoke have also been used. 
The older models were held by a pivot wire which ran 
through the yoke. The later models, however, have spring 
bars which set just above the pivoted end of the yoke, the 
yoke being hooked on the hinge rod and held down by a 
spring and plunger directly above the yoke, in the bar. This 
spring and plunger takes the strain off the yoke and keyrod 
when in an unusually heavy pull, and prevents damage to 
the rubber rolls. 

On the top of the spring bar is an adjusting screw bush¬ 
ing through which the plunger projects. This plunger is 


5 


forced against the top of the cam yoke by a spring. As the 
free end of the cam yoke raises, the spring must be strong 
enough to hold the pivoted end of the yoke from raising more 
than enough to give the full stroke of the keyrod. If some¬ 
thing prevents the free movement of the escapement, the 
strain would come to the pivoted end of the yoke, forcing the 
plunger up, thus releasing the keyrod, cam, or rubber roll 
of undue strain. If this spring becomes weak, it will allow 
the pivoted end of the yoke to raise too high, thus lessening 
the up stroke of the keyrod. This shortened stroke of the 
keyrod does not permit the full stroke operation of the 
escapement, and does not allow the matrix to drop. 

A weak spring will sometimes cause the matrix to drop 
slowly, due to the lug of the matrix binding on the lower 
pawl. By using the adjusting bushing this trouble can be 
remedied. Be careful in adjusting the spring, because too 
much tension will cause the cam to cut the rubber roll. 

On some models the spaceband cam is of a different 
shape or larger than the other cams. This is done to ac¬ 
complish the timing of the dropping of the spacebands. 

To remove a single cam from the frame, shut off the 
power of the machine, take off the cover pans, touch the 
keybutton of the desired cam, draw out the pivot wire on 
old models or release the latch and tilt the spring bar on 
new models, turn the rubber rolls by hand until the end of 
the cam yoke raises, then lift the yoke and cam out. 

Keyboard Rubber Rolls 

The rubber rolls are held on shafts which extend through 
the cam frame. The right end of the shafts run in bushings 
which are held in the cam frame by a screw extending 
through the cam frame bracket into the shaft bushing. 
Two kinds of rubber rolls may be obtained: corrugated and 
ground. The rolls must be kept free from oil at all times. 
About once each month they should be removed and washed 
with soap and water to remove all oil, and freshen the 
rubber. The rubber roll may be livened up by the use of 
course sandpaper, rubbing from end to end and turning 
the roll so it does not become flat. The roll should be washed 


6 


after using the sandpaper to remove the small particles of 
rubber that may be adhering to the surface. 

If the rubber rolls become worn until they are grooved 
where the cams operate on them, or if they become hard 
with long use, they should be replaced with new rubber. 
Good, live rubber rolls have much to do with quick, even 
response of the matrices. 

A rubber roll that is in good shape with the exception of 
a groove or two, can be used by cutting out the worn parts 
and placing in a good piece of another roll and fitting it to 
the shaft. Save parts of old rubber rolls for this purpose. 
They at least may be valuable for emergency patching, until 
a new roll can be ordered from the factory. 

The rubber roll shafts are driven by friction, so that 
if anything binds unduly the shaft will stop, preventing 
damage to the rubber. 

To replace a rubber roll, remove the old roll, polish the 
shaft, using care to clean thoroughly. A new roll must fit 
tightly and if the shaft is not clean and smooth, it will be 
hard to force the new roll on. Place the shaft in an upright 
position, start the end of the roll through the pulley end of 
the shaft. Place your thumb or hand over the other end of 
the roll to hold in the air and push down on the roll until it 
is in position. 

On the later models the shaft carries a collar, pin, and 
oil collar on each end. This assembly must be removed on one 
end before the roll can be removed. The collar is held to the 
shaft by a taper pin and the oil collar forced over the top 
of the pin and collar. This oil collar must be pried off before 
the pin can be driven out. 

Keyboard Troubles 

Many of the mechanical troubles will be found in the 
keyboard, such as continuous response or non-response of 
matrices. 

The keylevers sometimes get gummy or sprung to one 
side and bind on the frame, causing a continuous response 
of matrices. Another cause for continuous response may 
often be traced to some foreign substance such as metal 
shavings or dirt getting between the keylever and the frame. 


7 


A large percentage of keyboard troubles can be traced 
to the keybars. Most continuous response trouble is due 
to dirty or sticking keybars. These bars have several 
points of contact with other parts, and frequently a very 
small particle of dirt or dust will prevent the proper return 
of the keybar after being raised. This will hold the trigger 
out from under the cam yoke, which will continue to 
revolve and cause more than one matrix to drop. This 
trouble can usually be remedied by blowing out all dust 
from around the keybars and then washing them with 
gasoline, using a squirt can or brush to apply the gasoline. 
Before applying the gasoline, it is best to place a pan or cloth 
beneath the keybars to catch the surplus gasoline. 

Be very careful not to get any gasoline on the cams or 
rubber rolls, as it will cut the lubrication on the yoke pivot 
and soften the rubber roll. After washing the bars, blow 
the surplus gasoline off with an air hose or bellows. Keep 
the air from the keyboard cams as much as possible, as it 
has a tendency to dry the oil on the yoke pivot pins, causing 
slow moving cams. 

Sometimes the trouble is above the keybar banking bar. 
In this case it will be necessary to remove the back cam 
frame to clean the bars above the banking bar. 

Should the keyboard locking bar become loose it may 
drop down a trifle and, preventing free action of the key- 
bars, make the keyboard touch heavy. 

In addition to the continuous response caused by the 
keylever or keybar, sometimes a dirty and sticking trigger 
or the trigger hinge rod being bent will cause this trouble. 
If one of the pins in the stop strip or the cam becomes worn 
or broken, the cam will continue to revolve. 

Some of the common troubles of non-response might be 
caused by the free end of the cam yoke being dirty or 
gummy, a rusty, gummy, or bent cam yoke hinge rod, not 
allowing the cam to drop. A dry cam pivot will often pre¬ 
vent the cam from turning. A hard or oily rubber roll will 
not cause the cam to turn, especially on a cold morning. A 
tooth on the stop strip being bent sideways might bind the 
cam. Something binding the rubber roll, not allowing it to 


8 


revolve, stops all cam response. A dry cam pivot or a 
sluggish cam will cause transposition of letters. 

To locate the cause of a non-response, first observe if 
the keyrod is moving. If it is, the trouble will probably be 
found in the magazine or magazine escapement. If the 
keyrod does not raise, look for the trouble in the keyboard. 

Do not take the keyboard apart every time a few mat¬ 
rices fail to respond correctly. It is much quicker to correct 
the trouble with the individual parts that may be bothering. 
Always locate the cause of the trouble before attempting to 
correct it. 

KEYBOARD LAYOUT 

There are two standard layouts in common use. The one 
most commonly used, especially in commercial shops, has 
the small capital layout shown on the keybuttons. The 
fractions run as side sorts when this layout is used. In 
the other standard layout the fractions are run in the key¬ 
board. This is frequently used on newspapers for setting 
markets, stock reports, and tables, where a great number of 
fractions are used. 

There are a variety of different keyboard layouts for dif¬ 
ferent classes of work, but no great variation from the 
standard layout is advisable. 

TO REMOVE THE KEYBOARD CAM FRAMES 

Be sure the keyrods are connected to the verges on the 
models 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. On the models 1, 2, or 3 the keyboard 
should not be locked with the locking bar. 

Take off the cover pans and the cover tray, remove the 
two screws that extend through the rubber roll shaft 
bracket, pull the frame off dowel pins. 

CLEANING THE KEYBOARD CAMS 

Whenever the keyboard cams become dirty and several 
of them are causing trouble, the entire set should be removed 
from the frame and cleaned. Do not take the entire set off, 
however, every time a cam fails to act. If there are but 
a few cams bothering, it is much quicker to take out these 
individual cams and clean them. 


9 


The entire set of cams will usually need cleaning and 
oiling every three or four months in the average shop. Due 
to some particular shop surroundings, this time often varies. 

To clean the cams, remove the keyboard cam frames 
from the machine; take out the rubber rolls, assembled; re¬ 
lease the pivot end of the cam yokes and remove the cams. 
The sides of the cam yokes at each end and the outer sur¬ 
face of the cam should be thoroughly cleaned. Dry the cam 
by wiping with a lintless rag and blowing with an air hose 
or bellows. The triggers should then be removed and 
cleaned. While the cams and triggers are out of the frame, 
the frame should be washed clean. Gasoline or denatured 
alcohol should be used for washing and cleaning the various 
parts. A jeweler’s brush will be found useful in cleaning 
the various parts. 

Before replacing the triggers, polish them with graphite 
and string them on a pivot wire to make sure that no dirt 
nor grit has gotten into the pivot holes during the cleaning. 

Clean the rubber rolls before replacing them. 

Before replacing the cams in the frame the pivots should 
be oiled. Use only a good grade of clock or watch oil and 
put a small drop on the pivot. A broomstraw or ordinary 
pen will be found convenient for applying the oil. Be sure 
to wipe off all surplus oil to prevent it being transferred 
to the rubber rolls. 

NOTE—Before replacing the frames in position on the 
machine, see that the bracket screws that extend into the 
frame at each end are loose. If the screws draw the brackets 
too tight, difficulty will be experienced in seating the 
brackets to the dowels on the posts. Be sure to lock the 
keyboard cam yoke triggers by running a wire through the 
upper holes in the triggers. This is done so the triggers 
will enter the slots in the keybars. See that all cams are in 
normal position. This is necessary so the cam yokes will 
pass under the lower end of the keyrods. 

TO TAKE A KEYBOARD APART 

Whenever it is necessary to take the keyboard apart to 
clean, it should be removed from the machine in the follow¬ 
ing manner: Remove the keyboard cam frames. Remove 


10 


the assembling elevator lever. Procure a strip of wood 
furniture fifteen inches long, which is the proper length to 
just pass inside of the frame posts, fasten a strong cord to 
each end of the wood strip, take off the keyboard locking 
bar, place the strip of wood along the back of the keybars, 
bring the string inside of the side posts to the front of the 
keyboard. Draw the two ends of the string tight, so that 
the strip can not move, and fasten it to the keylevers. Take 
out the two keyboard side plate bracket screws (on each 
side at the rear of the keyboard frame). Take out the four 
keyboard front plate screws. Remove the two screws which 
hold the keybar banking bar to the posts and pull the bar off 
the dowel pins. Pull the frame toward the front of the 
machine and lift it out. Place the frame on a bench or 
table in a slightly inclined position with the rear end the 
higher. Take out the lower row of keylevers by removing 
the fulcrum rod. Take off the keybars, keeping them in 
their regular order. Take out the remaining keylevers by 
removing the fulcrum rods. Wash the keylevers in de¬ 
natured alcohol or gasoline, brushing vigorously with a 
jeweler's brush the parts that come in contact with the 
frame. If there is any corrosion left, polish the levers with 
metal polish; wipe them dry with a clean rag. The keybars 
should be cleaned in a like manner, but rub each side of 
each keybar on a graphite board instead of using metal 
polish. Wash the frame of the keyboard thoroughly, and 
wipe dry. If an air hose is available, blow all the parts dry 
with the air. 

When reassembling the keyboard, work upward. Place 
the lower row of keylevers in first, run the fulcrum rod 
through the holes; then assemble the next rows, using the 
same procedure for each row. This method makes it easy to 
assemble the keylevers. 

After the board has been assembled, test out each key 
to see that it is working freely, before replacing the strip 
of -\Vood. 

When replacing the banking bar the slot in the keybars 
must fit over the bar; raise up on all the keybars with the 
plate extending underneath them until the banking bar 
dowel pins fit into the dowel pin holes. 


11 


It is usually necessary to clean the entire keyboard only 
once or twice a year unless the shop conditions around the 
machine are very dirty. 


KEYRODS 

The keyrods rest just above the free end of the key¬ 
board cam yokes and extend upward to the escapement 
mechanism. They are the connection between the escape¬ 
ments and the keyboard cams. On the models 1, 2, 3, 4, 
and 5, the keyrods are numbered from 1 to 90; the space- 
band being a short rod, it is not necessary for it to be 
numbered. They are held in place by two guides. The lower 
guide is between the cam frames. On models 1, 2, 3, 4, 
and 5, the upper guide is directly under the magazine at 
the front. The object of the upper guide is to hold the key- 
rods in place when locking them on the verges, as they 
should rest squarely on the verges. 

On the model 1 the upper guides are adjustable side- 
wise by changing the position of the brass lug on the right 
side of the magazine in which the tongue of the guide fits. 
In making this adjustment use the lower case “p” as a 
guide. On the models 3 and 5 there is a screw bushing in 
the right-hand side of the intermediate bracket for the 
adjustment of the keyrod upper guide. 

When replacing keyrods in the guides, start at the left- 
hand side with the first slot in the bottom guide, but leave 
the first slot open in the top guide. This guide slot is for an 
extra keyrod for use in the special double “e” attachment 
which may be applied. 

The keyrods vary in length on the different models. On 
models 8, 14, 14-s-k, 18, 19, 9, and K the keyrods are very 
short and are used to operate a curved lever known as the 
escapement lever, which in turn operates the escapement. 

On models 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the keyrod is pulled back to 
its proper position by the keyrod spring. The action of this 
spring in pulling the keyrod to position stresses the verge 
spring and pulls the escapement into normal, allowing the 
rear pawl to release the matrix so it can slide into position 
to be caught and held by the front pawl. 


12 


On models K, 8, 14, 14-s-k, 18, 19, and 9 the keyrod is 
returned to position by the weight of the escapement lever, 
and by its own weight, the verge spring pulling the escape¬ 
ment back into position. 

On the later models 1 the keyrods have a groove near 
the upper ends and a supporting rail attached to the upper 
guide plate which keeps them from dropping when they are 
disconnected from the verges. 

On the model 5 this supporting rail is near the bottom 
end of the keyrods, just above the keyrod springs, and is 
connected to a short handle at the right end above the key¬ 
board. The keyrods can be disconnected from the verges 
only when the handle is lifted. 

AUXILIARY KEYRODS 

On models 14 and 19 there is an auxiliary magazine 
which has 28 channels. There are 28 short keyrods assembled 
the same as on a model 5. These keyrods are operated by 
an auxiliary keyboard. There is a supporting rail at the 
upper end of these keyrods, connected with a handle at the 
right side of the auxiliary bracket. The keyrods can only 
be disconnected from the verges when the handle is lifted. 
These keyrods are disconnected the same as on a model 5 
machine. 

MODEL FOURTEEN SINGLE KEYBOARD 

On the new model 14, known as model 14 single key¬ 
board, there are 34 channels and short keyrods on the 
auxiliary instead of 28. These keyrods are operated from 
the regular keyboard. There is a lug pressed in the back 
of the keyrods. These lugs are staggered on the various 
keyrods and come in contact with a series of pivoted levers 
in a box containing 34 of these levers, fastened at the back 
of the keyrods of the main part of the machine. 

The main keyrods, from the figure 1 up to and includ¬ 
ing the caps (34 in all), have a lug pressed into the back 
side of them. These lugs are also staggered on the keyrods 
so they can be brought into contact with the fulcrumed 
levers in the box. This box is known as a bail box. 


13 


The upper keyrod guide slots are made longer for these 
keyrods to slide back or forth, actuated by a hand lever 
that is placed below the assembler entrance and resting on 
the delivery slideway. The auxiliary is brought into opera¬ 
tion by shoving back on this lever, which brings the keyrods 
and lugs in contact with the bail box levers, and they in 
turn operate the keyrods of the auxiliary whenever a key 
is touched. 

MAGAZINES AND ESCAPEMENTS 
Escapement Mechanism 

The escapement mechanism of models 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 
machines consists of two pawls, a verge, and a verge spring 
for each character in the magazine. The verge is hinged on 
a pivot rod. The lower end of the pawls are seated in the 
verge, and the upper end projects through the under side of 
the magazine and engages the lower lugs of the matrices. 
When the escapement is at its normal position, the lower or 
front pawl extends up into the magazine and holds the 
column of matrices in the channel. The end of the upper 
pawl is flush with the bottom of the channel groove. The 
verge and pawls are held in this position by the keyrod, 
which hooks onto the verge. This keyrod is held down by 
its own weight and a spring near its lower end. The verge 
spring, which sets directly back of and against the verge, 
has its tension upward on the verge. When the key is 
touched and the cam yoke raises the keyrod, it releases the 
verge, which is pulled upward by the verge spring. This 
action lowers the front pawl and raises the back pawl, re¬ 
leasing the front matrix. The back pawl detains the other 
matrices, holding them in the channel until the verge is re¬ 
stored to normal. The keyrod spring pulls the keyrod down. 
The verge, being hooked to the keyrod is pulled down also. 
This brings the front pawl up and the back pawl down, 
letting the matrix slide to position ready for the next escape¬ 
ment. This verge action is the same on all single magazine 
models. 

Each magazine of a model 1, 2, or 3 machine carries the 
escapement assembly on the bottom, at the front, directly 
above the keyrod upper guide. 


14 


On a model 5 the verge escapement is fastened by means 
of two screws and two dowel pins to the intermediate bracket 
of the machine. To remove: Take off the magazine and then 
raise the keyrods with the hand lever at the right of the 
keyrods. This will leave the keyrods free to be pushed back 
from the verges, by withdrawing the spring pin which holds 
the upper keyrod guide to the verge pivot rod at the right 
hand side, under the escapements, and pushing back on the 
guide. The escapements can then be removed by taking out 
the two screws, one at each end, and lift off the dowel pins. 

The escapement mechanism of models 8, 14, 18, 19, 
14-s-k, and K is similar to the model explained above, except 
that the verge spring pulls downward on the verge instead 
of upward, as in the other models. The escapement is oper¬ 
ated by the escapement lever and a plunger from the front. 
The keyrod forces the escapement lever upward. The lever 
strikes the plunger and forces it against the verge. 

The model 8 or 14 verge escapements can be removed 
by raising the magazine and pushing the escapement back 
from between the escapement supports. 

MAGAZINES 

The magazine is the receptacle in which a font of mat¬ 
rices is stored on the machine, ready for instant use as the 
matrices are desired in assembling a line. Some of the main 
features of the different model machines are the number 
of magazines carried on the machine at one time, the size 
or width of the magazine, and the manner of removing the 
magazines. 

The magazine or channel plate consists of 92 channels 
milled in the brass plates, which guide the lugs of the mat¬ 
rices and keep them in line, so as to pass the escapements 
one at a time. Model 1 magazines have the old style channel 
entrances, attached to each magazine frame. The model 1 
magazines are narrow, and will only carry matrices up to 
and including 11-point. The escapements of this model are 
fastened directly to the magazine. 

The magazine for a model 2 or 3 machine is practically 
the same as a model 1 in construction, with the exception 
of being two inches wider at the lower end. 


15 


The verges on these models are practically the same as 
on the model 1, but on account of the difference in width of 
the magazines, are thicker. In this style the verges are 
locked by turning the grooved escapement verge locking 
bar one-fourth of a turn. This is turned by the crank at the 
right-hand side of the magazine. The keyboard is locked 
with a bar the same as the model 1. 

The channel entrance is similar to the model 1. 

The lower magazine of the model 2 is shorter than the 
upper magazine. The matrices are released by the same 
keyboard mechanism. The escapements, however, are on 
the top of the magazine instead of beneath it. Each keyrod 
has a lug fastened to the back end of it, which engages the 
escapement levers connected to the escapements. When the 
lower magazine is being used, the keyrod is raised and 
allows the verge spring to operate the escapement, releasing 
the matrix. The keyrod spring pulls the escapement lever 
down. This lever brings the escapement into position, ready 
to release another matrix. 

The escapements on both magazines are capable of 
movement, as the verge springs of both tend to raise the 
escapements, but are prevented from doing so by the keyrod 
spring. The matrices are prevented from escaping from 
both magazines at the same time by a pair of grooved rods, 
which lie between the verges and the magazine. The locks on 
these rods are so arranged that the locking of one escape¬ 
ment unlocks the other, the movement of these being con¬ 
trolled by a hand lever at the right of the face plate, directly 
above the keyboard. 

The model 3 magazine is the same as the model 2 
(upper). The escapement action is also the same. 

The upper magazine of a model 4 is a removable maga¬ 
zine which is independent of the escapement mechanism or 
the channel entrance. This magazine is as wide as the model 
2 or 3, but is not interchangeable with them. This magazine 
is interchangeable with those of a model 5, 8, 14, 18, 19, or 
14-s-k. 

The lower magazine of a model 4 is the same as a model 
2, but it is easily removed from the machine, as the escape¬ 
ment mechanism is independent of the magazine. 


16 


The escapement on the model 4 is the same as on the 
model 2, except that the escapement mechanism is fastened 
to the machine brackets instead of to the magazine. 

On models 2 and 4 there are two channels of lower case 
“e” matrices. The mechanism for the operation of the 
double “e” is one keyboard cam to be connected alternately 
to the two short keyrods which connect with the two “e” 
verges. The shifting of a short keyrod from one to the other 
keyrods is accomplished by the raising of the assembling 
elevator, which operates a lever fastened to the assembling 
elevator link. This link comes in contact with a pawl and 
ratchet that operate the short keyrod by shifting alternately. 
This attachment can be applied to any model of machine. 

The model 5 is a quick change machine. The magazine 
changes from the front and can be lifted off by one person. 
The escapement mechanism is separate from the magazine. 

The model 5 magazine is the same as the model 4 and is 
interchangeable with any of the above mentioned models 
except models 1, 2, or 3. 

The No. 5 (English) magazine is now known as the 
standard magazine. This magazine is used on all models 
4, 5, 8, 14, 14-s-k, 18, and 19 machines. 

The model 8 machine carries 3 of these No. 5 magazines. 
All magazines may be changed from the front of the ma¬ 
chine. The magazines are interchangeable as to their posi¬ 
tion in the machine. They are also interchangeable with 
the same No. 5 magazines on other machines. 

The model 14 is the same as the model 8, except that it 
has an auxiliary magazine. 

Model 18, which carries two magazines, uses the same 
magazines as a model 5, 8, or 14. The escapements are hung 
to the magazine frame, but are like the model 5, 8, or 14 
escapements, and are held in place by two spring clamps 
that fit over the top of the magazines at the front. By shift¬ 
ing a lever at the right of the magazine frame, the position 
of the magazines is changed. 

The model 19 is the same as the model 18, except that it 
has an auxiliary magazine. 


17 


REMOVING A MAGAZINE 

It is sometimes necessary to remove the magazines of 
any model of machine for the purpose of cleaning or repair¬ 
ing, or to change the type face. 

Read carefully the instructions for the removing of the 
magazines until you become thoroughly familiar with the 
order of procedure. To forget one operation or to perform 
an operation at the wrong time may cause the matrices to 
be spilled or something more serious. 

To remove a model 1 magazine: Lock the verges by plac¬ 
ing the locking wire above the shoulder of the back pawls, 
lock the keyboard by inserting the locking rod in the slotted 
hole in the right-hand keyboard post and shove the rod 
through the full length of the keyboard. This rod passes 
under the end of the keyboard cam yokes and raises them, 
which raises the key rods olf the verges a trifle. Unlatch 
the upper keyrod guide at the right-hand side and move 
the keyrods off the verges. Pull the flexible front of the 
assembler plate forward as far as the chain permits it to 
come. Remove the tray under the rear channel entrance, 
raise the magazine to a level position and push it through 
toward the rear and lift out carefully. It requires two per¬ 
sons to remove a magazine of this model. 

In returning the magazine be careful that it is moved 
forward the full distance before the front end is lowered; 
or the lift lever of the distributor box may be damaged. 

To remove the upper magazine from a model 2: Un¬ 
latch the connecting links between the verge locks, throw 
the verge lock of the upper magazine down one-fourth 
of a turn, and slip the sliding block on the side of the upper 
magazine downward. This holds the upper verge lock. Lock 
the keyboard, and depress the pin beneath the verges of the 
upper magazine, at the right. This pin holds the keyrod 
guide and keyrods to the verges. Push the guide back and 
disconnect the keyrods. The lower end of the upper maga¬ 
zine can now be raised and the magazine drawn out of the 
machine at the back. Use care not to damage the lower 
magazine or back entrance. 

To remove the lower magazine of a model 2: Remove 


18 


the upper magazine, throw the keyrods forward with the 
lever, draw out the rod beneath the magazine mouth. This 
rod holds the matrix guides for the lower magazine in place. 
Lift out the magazine, using care not to damage the escape¬ 
ments or levers. 

To remove the model 5 magazine: Insert the locking 
strip, pressing it firmly in place. This bar holds the matrices 
in the channels. The bar also releases the lock at the left- 
hand side of the magazine and permits the cam levers to be 
turned or brought forward into position for holding the 
magazine. Pull forward the spring lock which fits over the 
lower end of the magazine. With the cam levers, raise the 
magazine frame. Lift the front end of the magazine and it 
will slide forward; then by allowing the lower end to drop, 
the magazine will hang in a vertical position on the levers. 
Close the cover at the top of the magazine and lift off. 

The above method of locking must be followed with 
any No. 5 magazine on any model. 

To remove any of the three magazines from a model 
8 or 14 proceed in the following manner: 

Any magazine should be in operating position before 
it is removed. 

The upper magazine is removed similarly to a model 5. 
Place the locking rod in the magazine to lock the matrices 
and unlock the catch at left of the magazine. Take off the 
bar which extends across the top side of the magazine. 
Turn the cam levers forward, and lift the magazine off. 

To remove the second magazine: Insert the locking bar 
in the top and second magazines. Raise the magazines with 
the elevating mechanism, as high as they will go. Place the 
frame supports under the upper magazine frame. Remove 
the bar which extends across the top side of the top maga¬ 
zine. Turn the elevating crank until the frame descends 
and the second magazine is in operating position, leaving 
the upper magazine elevated. Place the right- and left-hand 
cams on the second magazine frame. Lift out the escape¬ 
ments of the upper magazine. Then proceed as in removing 
the upper magazine. 

To remove the third magazine: Remove the two upper 
magazines and take off the frame cams; take out the eight 


19 


screws that hold the right- and left-hand gibs to the frame 
guides; remove the gibs, using care not to get them mixed. 
Remove the two frames from the guides; take out the two 
clamps that hold the lower magazine at the rear. Have a 
helper stand on the frame of the machine in the rear, and 
reach over the top of the distributor beam to assist in lift¬ 
ing the magazine, while the operator in front gradually 
raises the magazine clear of the escapement frame. Take 
out the escapements by removing the two screws in the 
left-hand support and pry it olf dowel pin holes. Be careful 
to hold the escapement with one hand so it does not drop. 

To remove a magazine from a model 18 or 19: Put the 
lower magazine in operating position. Insert the locking 
strips. Pull the lever at the left down as far as it will go, 
which spreads apart the two magazines. Drop the escape¬ 
ments down by releasing the two spring clamps that fit over 
the top of the magazine. The clamp on the left is fitted 
with a lock so it can not be dropped unless the locking strip 
is all the way through. Fasten the two shoes for the maga¬ 
zine bar to slide on, in the holes provided for them, and lift 
off magazine from the front. Either magazine can be 
lifted off. 

In making the above changes, be sure you have locked 
the magazine. In replacing the magazine on the escape¬ 
ments be sure that the magazine is seated properly before 
removing the locking bar. 

New Model 8 and 14 Single Keyboard 

These models change practically the same as other 
models, but the lower magazine can be changed as easily 
and quickly as the top or center magazines. 

This is accomplished by changes in the locating rods, 
guides, and elevating screw which permit raising the maga¬ 
zine frames higher, clearing the assembler plate far enough 
to slide the lower magazine out the same as the other two. 

The escapements are hung to the magazine frame in 
the same manner as the models 18 and 19, and are held in 
place by the clamps, but the latter clamps are tightened by 
means of screws and knurled knobs instead of springs. 


20 


To remove a magazine from a late model 8 or 14-s-k: Put 
the magazine in operating position next to the . one to be 
changed; if the top one is to be changed, put the second 
magazine in operating position; if the second one, place the 
lower magazine in position. Lock the locking strip, drop 
the escapements down by releasing the two knurled knob 
screws that clamp the escapement over the top of the maga¬ 
zine. Pull the lever at the left down as far as it will go; 
fasten the two shoes for the magazine bar to slide on in the 
lugs provided for them and lift off the magazine from the 
front. 


Split Magazines 

Split magazines can be used on models 8, 14, 14-s-k, 18, 
19, 21, and 22. These magazines are just half the length of 
the regular magazines and carry 12 matrices of each 
character. These magazines are very handy, where a large 
amount of changes are made, because of their lightness. On 
account of the short fonts carried, they are not desirable 
for use below 12-point, except in some job faces. 

These magazines are changed the same as the full length 
magazines. 


Auxiliary Magazines 

Auxiliary magazines are narrow, having only 28 chan¬ 
nels, and are operated by separate auxiliary escapements, 
keyrods, and keyboard. They are extensively used for carry¬ 
ing headletter and advertising fonts, and two-line figures. 
They can be changed the same as changing a model 5 
magazine. 

The newer style auxiliary, used on the model 14 single 
keyboard, is wider and has 34 channels; permitting the 
use of larger faces and carrying more of an assortment of 
characters than the older model. This magazine is operated 
by separate keyrods and escapements connecting with the 
regular keyboard through the medium of a series of ful- 
crumed levers, which can, by the operation of a small lever, 
be brought into instant use at will from the regular key¬ 
board. 


21 


Model K 


The model K is a two magazine machine with maga¬ 
zines the same width as the model 1. This model does not 
differ materially from a model 1 except that it has two 
interchangeable narrow magazines supported in a frame 
similar to the frame of a model 19. The magazines are 
changed by pulling a lever at the right of the magazine 
frame. This machine carries the short keyrods, escapement 
levers, and escapements similar to a model 19, except that 
the escapements are fastened to the magazine. These maga¬ 
zines are changed from the front. They are not interchange¬ 
able with a model 1 magazine. The other parts of the 
machine are the same as any of the other models. 

Model L 

The model L is a rebuilt machine along the same lines 
as a model 5. The magazine changes from the front the 
same as a model 5. The escapements are fastened to the 
intermediate brackets similar to a model 5. 

To change a magazine on this model: Lock the matrices 
by inserting the locking strip, pressing it firmly in place. 
Raise the cam levers to positions, lift the front end of the 
magazine, and it will slide forward. By allowing the lower 
end to drop, the magazine will hang in a vertical position 
ready to be lifted off. 

To remove the verges from this model it is necessary to 
use the locking rod that comes with the machine. This rod 
is similar to the one used on the model 1, except it has an 
extra strip at the top which raises the keyrods higher. 
Insert this strip in the hole in the keyboard post at the 
right; push through as far as it will go. This will lift the 
keyrods free of the verges; they can now be pushed back by 
releasing the latch that holds the upper keyrod guides to the 
verge pivot rod at the right, and pushing back on the guide. 
The escapements can now be removed by taking out the two 
screws, one at each end, and lift off dowel pins. 


22 . 


TO REMOVE A VERGE 


Remove the magazine or escapements from the machine 
and place bottom side up on a bench or table. On a model 1, 
with a pair of duck bill pliers, straighten the bent ears on 
the verge partition which holds the narrow brass locking 
strip in place. Raise the strip to a point beyond the desired 
verge. (On the other models there is no strip to be removed.) 
Push out the pivot rod with another rod of the same size, 
until you reach the desired verge; separate the ends of the 
two rods and lift out the verge and its pawls. Verges are 
made in various sizes and care should be taken that a verge 
of the same size is used in replacing. Examine the verge 
and pawl to see that there is nothing to retard its free 
action. Examine the verge spring for wear at the point of 
contact with the verge. If the verge does not work freely 
the matrices can not drop properly. 

Failure of Matrices to Respond 
(Due to trouble above the keyboard) 

When the matrices fail to respond to the touch and the 
keyboard and keyrods have been found to be working 
properly, the trouble may be due to: Dirty magazine, dirty 
matrices, bent or damaged lugs on the matrices, weak verge 
spring, bent verge pawl, bent verge plunger, broken verge, 
verge not making full stroke, magazine not aligning with 
the assembler front partitions, matrix laying flat in the 
magazine and holding others back, no matrices in the chan¬ 
nel, battered channel, keyrod spring weak or off. 

CLEANING A MAGAZINE 

To clean a magazine, run out all the matrices into a 
galley and place the magazine in a convenient place for 
cleaning. Magazines which have the verges assembled on 
them should be placed with the bottom side up in order to 
prevent the dirt getting in around the pawls while cleaning. 
With a good magazine brush, clean all dirt and gum from 
the inside of the magazine. If the magazine is very dirty, 
first use a little good gasoline or denatured alcohol on the 
brush to cut all the gum loose. Brush the magazine and 


23 


use the air until dry on the inside. Then polish the inside 
by applying a very small amount of graphite on the brush 
and rubbing briskly. 

In cleaning a magazine, be sure that all the little dark 
spots, which show where the lugs of the matrices set in the 
magazine, are removed. These spots are gum which forms 
in the magazine, due to oil and dirt which are carried in on 
the lugs of the matrices. If these spots are not entirely 
removed it would be better not to clean the magazine at all. 
When they are merely loosened up by the cleaning, the 
matrices will be held back and will not drop regularly. 

Frequently the bristles of the brush will get caught in 
the partitions of the magazine and pull out of the brush. 
These can usually be removed by dragging the edge of a 
soft pine yard-stick across them. 

Keep the various parts of the machine, with which the 
matrices come in contact, clean and free from oil, and the 
magazine will not get dirty for some time. 

CLEANING MATRICES 

Matrices to be cleaned should be placed on a flat galley. 
With an ink eraser (Banner Eberhard Faber No. 1071) 
remove the gum or dirt from the lugs and the face. Then 
blow the loose dust off with the air. Place another galley 
bottom side up over the galley of matrices and turn both 
galleys and the matrices over. The back lugs and back side 
of the matrices may then be cleaned the same as the face. 

Magazine Hints 

Never oil the escapements nor put oil in the magazine. 
To do so will cause escapement trouble. 

Do not slam the magazine entrance when closing it. 
There may be a matrix overhanging the edge that you have 
overlooked, and you will damage the matrix and the back 
end of the magazine. 

Never pound the magazine to make matrices drop. 
Locate the cause of the trouble and remove it. 

Don’t forget, when pulling down the magazine entrance, 
to do so quickly, as opening it slowly is liable to cause a 
matrix to fall into the magazine flatwise. 


24 


Never try to force a matrix past the escapement. If it 
will not come through easily, pull it out the back way. 

A wooden reglet with a rubber band around the end 
will be found convenient for removing a flat matrix from 
the magazine. 

Never attempt to remove a magazine without first in¬ 
serting the locking bar. 

Do not expect a rusty or bent locking bar to work freely. 
Clean it; if bent, straighten it. 

Never put a No. 5 magazine on the machine until you 
have run your fingers along the opening at the back side of 
the lower end to make sure there are no matrices with the 
lugs in the opening. If there are, push them back in the 
magazine. Just one lug in this opening will prevent the 
magazine seating properly. 

ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR 

The assembling elevator is held in place on the face plate 
by the two gibs, one on each side, and by the assembler roll 
bracket on the lower right-hand side. 

The assembling elevator on all the later model machines 
consists of two castings, held together at the bottom by a 
large screw and dowel pins. The two castings carry, as the 
main parts, the assembler gate, retaining pawls, the duplex 
rails, the buffer parts on which the matrices strike, the re¬ 
leasing pin, the latch, and the detaining plates. 

The matrices, when falling from the magazines, are 
guided downward by a series of flexible partitions. These 
partitions are thin strips fastened to the assembler plate 
and are bent at an angle at the bottom to cause the matrix 
to drop flat on an endless conveyer belt which carries them 
to the assembler rails. These rails are so shaped that the 
matrices slide between them and the chute spring into the 
assembling elevator and are moved forward into the 
elevator by a star wheel. 

As the matrix is caught by the star wheel, it is pushed 
between the two assembling elevator rail pawls and seated 
on the elevator buffers. The matrix is held in place at the 
bottom of the elevator by two detaining plates. When these 


25 


parts are in perfect condition, the matrix will set straight 
in the elevator. 

The back buffer is made of steel, and sets flush with the 
edge of the back rail of the elevator. The front buffer re¬ 
ceives most of the impact of the matrices and there is not 
much wear to the back one, unless the front buffer is badly 
worn. The back buffer may be renewed if necessary. 

The front buffer is a removable fiber plate set in the 
bottom and flush with the edge of the rail. The purpose of 
this buffer is to prevent wear on the bottom lug of the ma¬ 
trix. When the plate is worn, it can be replaced. 

The matrix will have a tendency to fall back on the star 
wheel if the buffer is worn. A good way to determine 
whether the front buffer is worn is to run down a few 
matrices in the assembler, then open the gate and observe 
whether the matrices near the end fall forward slightly, 
dropping below the level of the rest of the line. If the mat¬ 
rices drop very much, a new buffer should be applied. 

The detaining plates, at the bottom of the assembling 
elevator, are for the purpose of keeping the bottom of the 
matrix from falling between the assembling elevator and the 
assembler. These plates must be kept in good condition, and 
the screws which hold them kept tight, or thin matrices will 
get in between the elevator and assembler, causing trouble 
in assembling the line. 

Assembled at the right of the assembling elevator back 
rail and the gate are the two assembling elevator rail pawls. 
These rail pawls are operated by springs, the tension of 
which should be just strong enough to hold the matrix. 
The pawls should keep the matrices from falling back on 
the star wheel. 

Most fonts of matrices, up to and including 14-point, 
have two letters or characters on the casting edge. The 
characters to be cast must be presented at the proper level 
in front of the mold cell. To enable the operator to utilize 
either character instantly, there is assembled in the front of 
the assembling elevator tw T o thin duplex rails. These rails 
are operated by small levers, which permit the operator 
to assemble the matrices on the upper or lower rail, or mix 
the line, part upper and part lower. Rails are carried 


26 


throughout the entire delivery mechanism to hold the mat¬ 
rices at the proper level until after the cast is made. 

The rails are assembled on the levers and are held to 
position by a bar which is fastened to the elevator. A liner 
on each end, under the bar, gives room for the rails to move 
without binding. Under the rails are small spiral springs 
which force the rails up against the bar to keep them from 
moving too freely when a line is being assembled. 

The long rail has a projection out from the base that 
holds the line of matrices as it transfers from the elevator 
to the delivery channel. This projection must fit into a groove 
in the elevator. If this point becomes bent it will not permit 
the rail to fit, causing bad assembling when in the regular 
position. There is a small operating finger screwed to the 
long rail that comes in contact with the aligning piece fas¬ 
tened to the delivery channel front rail. This is for the 
purpose of aligning the upper rails on the assembling ele¬ 
vator with the upper delivery channel rails when the line is 
in the auxiliary position. If the operating finger does not 
come in contact with the aligning piece and raise it, mat¬ 
rices in auxiliary, or raised position, will not pass into the 
delivery channel. 

To operate the duplex rails, determine in which position 
the matrices should be assembled, and press in or pull out 
on the small levers, as desired. The right-hand lever controls 
the first half-inch of the duplex rail, throwing it in or out. If 
the rail is in, the matrices are all assembled on the raised or 
auxiliary position. If the rail is out, the matrices are all 
assembled on the bottom or regular position. 

The left-hand or the long rail fills out the balance of 
space in the elevator. It is also connected with a small lever, 
and operates the same as the short rail. The rails can be 
moved in or out as needed for a line in the regular or aux¬ 
iliary position, or for a line partly in the regular and partly 
in the auxiliary position. 

On the back of the assembling elevator at the right, rest¬ 
ing on an adjusting screw, is the line delivery slide releasing 
wire pin. This pin should release the line delivery slide just 
as the assembling latch catches when the elevator is raised. 


27 


The releasing pin raises the releasing plunger, which in 
turn raises the delivery pawl, releasing the slide. This 
carries the assembled line through the delivery channel. 
The pin should not release the slide until the latch, which is 
found on the back of the assembling elevator, catches on 
the stop bar. The latch, which is held in place by a shoulder 
screw and operated by a spring, holds the elevator in raised 
position until the slide has carried the assembled line into 
the delivery channel. The latch is then released by the slide 
as it passes to the left, allowing the elevator to drop of its 
own weight to the position to receive another line. 

If the pin is adjusted so that it will release the pawl 
before the latch catches, the delivery slide will start to 
carry the line towards the delivery channel before the latch 
can hold and part of the line will fall out, because the 
elevator drops as soon as released. If the pin is adjusted so 
it will not release the pawl, the delivery slide will not start. 

The pin should be adjusted so it will release the delivery 
pawl at the same time the latch catches on the stop bar. 
This adjustment is made by raising the elevator to its high¬ 
est position and with a narrow screw-driver, adjust to the 
proper height by turning the adjusting screw on which the 
pins rest. 

There is a counterbalance spring attached to the assem¬ 
bling elevator, underneath the keyboard frame. 

To Take Off Assembling Elevator 

Remove the two screws which hold the delivery channel; 
pull it off the dowel pins. Release the assembling elevator 
lever, take out the four screws which hold the left-hand 
gib, pull the gib off dowel pins, and remove the elevator. On 
the machine that has the universal ejector, care must be 
used not to bend the indicator rod when removing the 
delivery channel. 


ASSEMBLER 

As the matrices descend into the assembling elevator 
they pass between the chute spring and the assembler chute 
rails. The chute spring is bent and adjusted to break the fall 
of the matrix and tend to throw the bottom of the matrix 


28 


towards the star wheel. The points of the chute spring 
should be slightly inclined so they will not interfere with the 
top of the matrix striking beneath the points of the spring, 
retarding the matrix long enough for the spaceband to 
transpose. There must be room enough between these points 
for the spaceband to pass through without binding as it 
drops from the spaceband chute into the assembling elevator. 

The chute spring must be adjusted so it will allow the 
heaviest matrix in the font, such as the cap “W,” to slip 
through between it and the rails of the assembler without 
hesitating. This adjustment is approximate; it is sometimes 
necessary to change it. Adjust by bending above the bank¬ 
ing piece with duck bill pliers. The spring should also be 
flexible and as low as permitted by the banking piece which 
is riveted on the side, and resting on the assembler plate. 
Be careful not to change the shape of the lower part of the 
spring. 

The later style chute spring is a great improvement over 
the old style. The length of the spring from the pivot¬ 
ing point to the toe assures smoothness in assembling, and 
can be instantly adjusted for thin or thick matrices. 

On this style chute spring the adjustment is made by 
turning a conical thumbscrew which raises or lowers the 
spring. 

The matrix catch spring is fastened to the rear of the 
assembler plate and projects through a slot in the plate 
%o of an inch. The purpose of this spring is to retard the 
matrix a trifle before it passes onto the star wheel. The 
catch spring should be adjusted so it does not project 
more than y 32 of an inch from the plate. It must also be 
in the center of the slot. If it projects more than the dis¬ 
tance mentioned it may cause transpositions. 

The star wheel is driven by a friction disk and pinion. 
The pinion slips over a small circular brass disk that is 
screwed onto the star wheel shaft. To hold the pinion on 
and to cause the friction to drive the disk, there is a spring 
which is held against the pinion by a nut that screws on the 
shaft. The spring must be just strong enough to force the 
assembler slide over when assembling a line, but to allow 
the star wheel to stop if anything binds it. 


29 


If the brass disk wears or becomes oily, or the friction 
sprmg becomes weak, a slight resistance to the star wheel 
will stop it and the matrices will clog in the assembler. If 
the friction is too strong, the star wheel will not stop when 
too many matrices are dropped into the assembler. This 
will cause damage to the matrices or the machine. 

If these parts need renewing or cleaning, it will be 
necessary to remove the assembler plate from the machine. 
This can be accomplished by removing the two screws in 
the assembler plate, remove the chute spring, if the new 
style, release the matrix delivery belt from the pulley at 
the top, slipping the assembler driving belt off the pulley, 
and lifting the plate off the dowel pins. 

By unscrewing the stud nut, the spring and the pinion 
can be lifted off and the disk unscrewed and cleaned or 
renewed. 

The star wheel should force the matrices inside the 
retaining pawls in the assembling elevator. When it becomes 
worn to the extent that it will not force the matrices inside 
the retaining pawls, it should be replaced with a new one. 

When renewing a star wheel it is only necessary to re¬ 
move the small assembler cover, raise the assembling eleva¬ 
tor, remove the screw which holds the two chute plates and 
rails on the dowel pins, and remove the chute plates. The 
old star can be withdrawn and a new one fitted. 

Use a square file to dress out the hole on the new star, 
but do not have it fitted too loosely. Use care that the star 
does not bind anywhere. 

The assembler chute rails, front and back, are soldered 
to the plates, and should be kept tightly fastened at all 
times. They should be close to, but not dig into, the delivery 
belt. 

The small assembler cover must be adjusted so the mat¬ 
rices do not strike the upper edge while passing to the 
assembler, as this batters the lugs and will cause them to 
stick in the channels. It should also be adjusted so the lower 
left-hand side sets close to the assembling elevator, to 
prevent matrices or spacebands from getting between the 
cover and the assembling elevator. 


30 


ASSEMBLER SLIDE 


The assembler slide guides the matrices as they are 
forced into the assembling elevator by the star wheel. This 
slide is prevented from vibrating by the assembler slide 
brake. 

On the right end of the slide is the gauge and clamp for 
setting it to the required measure. The gauge is marked in 
ems and half-ems. By merely changing the clamp the slide 
can be adjusted to any measure desired. 

On top of the clamp is an adjusting screw for the pur¬ 
pose of keeping the slide properly adjusted. The proper 
measurement of the slide is determined by inserting a gauge 
or slug of any known length between the assembler slide 
finger and the star wheel. The star wheel, being of fiber 
composition, wears down, which in time will allow enough 
matrices to be assembled in the assembler to cause a tight 
line in the vice jaws. By using the adjusting screw the slide 
can be kept at proper adjustment. The screw should be 
turned towards the assembler slide bracket pawl until the 
gauge stops the star wheel. This is a very important ad¬ 
justment, as tight lines should not be tolerated on any 
machine. Tight lines not only ruin the matrices, but they 
often cause much damage to the machine. They also cause 
much distributor and escapement trouble on account of the 
damage done to the matrices. 

ASSEMBLER SLIDE BRAKE 

The assembler slide brake is at the right of the assem¬ 
bler, held to the face plate by a screw, and operated by the 
assembler slide brake operating lever, spring, and a trip. 
The purpose of the brake is to prevent the slide from having 
an unsteady movement when the line is being assembled, so 
that the last matrix in the elevator will be upright against 
the star wheel. The brake should hold the assembler slide 
from returning to normal until released by the operating 
lever. When the assembling elevator is in normal position it 
is resting on the top of the assembler slide brake operating 
lever near the left end, which raises the right, putting the 
brake in action. 


31 


When the assembling elevator is being raised, the lug 
on the lower right side raises the left end of the operating 
lever, lowering the right against the adjusting screw in the 
brake trip which releases the brake, and allows the slide to 
return to its normal position. 

When it is necessary to adjust the brake it can be ad¬ 
justed with the screw in the inner end of the operating 
lever on the older models, and with the screw 1 in the brake 
trip on the newer, by raising the assembling elevator slow¬ 
ly with the left hand and adjusting with the right so the 
slide will return just before the line delivery slide is re¬ 
leased. There should be about % 4 of an inch between the end 
of the screw on the operating lever, or the trip, and the 
brake lever when this adjustment is properly made. 

There are facing blocks at the point of friction on the 
assembler slide brake. When these blocks become worn, 
they may be reversed, bringing another corner to the point 
of friction. 

The left end of the operating lever when raised, should 
remain so until the assembling elevator has returned to its 
proper position. If it does not, when using a long line the 
instant the elevator starts to descend, the right end of the 
operating lever raising would allow the brake to go into 
action, and cause the assembler slide to stop before it has 
returned to its proper position. 

On the back of the operating lever is a friction spring 
which should overcome the tension of the brake spring, 
so as to have the left end of the operating lever remain in 
raised position until returned by the assembling elevator as 
it returns to normal. 

The assembler slide is returned to normal by a long coil 
spring, as soon as the brake is released. Do not change the 
tension of this spring if the slide fails to return. The cause 
of the trouble usually will be found elsewhere. 

MATRIX CARRIER BELT 

This belt moves the matrices to the assembling elevator 
and must be kept fairly tight. It is adjusted by loosening 
the nut and stud which hold the upper pulley and which fit 
into a slotted hole; then move the pulley to the desired posi- 


32 


tion and tighten the nut. If the belt is still loose when the 
stud is against the outer end of the slot a new belt should be 
applied. Procure a new belt from the machine manufacturer 
and be sure to specify the model and the number of the 
machine, because the belts are of different lengths for the 
various models. 

There are always particles of dirt and grease that form 
a gum which adheres to the pulleys and slideways along 
which the belt moves. These parts should be kept clean and 
free of this gum. 

CAUSES OF BAD ASSEMBLING 

The main sources of trouble of the assembling are trans¬ 
positions and matrices jumping out of the assembler. The 
causes of these troubles are numerous. In the assembling 
elevator it may be caused by worn buffer strips, detaining 
pawls not working properly, worn detaining plates. On the 
assembler plate trouble may be caused by a worn star wheel, 
dirty star wheel friction, chute spring out of adjustment, 
matrix catch spring out of adjustment, chute rails loose 
from the plates; assembler slide brake out of adjustment, 
permitting the slide to vibrate; brake catching too soon, not 
allowing the slide to return all the way back; loose screw in 
assembler slide operating brake, causing the slide to bind; 
assembler slide worn or dirty, which will not allow the brake 
to operate properly. 

These are some of the principal causes of trouble, but 
due to wear or the care the machine has had, there may 
be numerous other causes. 

THE SPACEBANDS 

Spacing and justification are accomplished on the lino¬ 
type by means of the spacebands, which are held in the 
spaceband box above the assembling elevator, into which 
they drop when the spacebar is touched. 

Spacebands are made in two pieces, a long wedge and a 
sleeve, put together in such a manner that they slide freely 
the one upon the other, but with the outer surfaces always 
remaining parallel. The spaceband is thicker at the bottom 


33 


than at the top, forming a wedge which is automatically 
driven upward between the matrices, thus increasing the 
space between the words, spreading the line to fill the 
measure, and holding it air-tight during the cast. 

The sleeve of the spaceband should be turned to the right. 
Because the casting edge of the spacebands is made thicker 
than the opposite edge, spacebands must not be reversed in 
a line, nor two put together; neither should a spaceband be 
put on the end of a line. 

After the cast the matrices and spacebands are carried 
to the transfer point where the matrices are transferred 
from the first elevator to the bar of the second elevator, 
while the spacebands, not having combination teeth like the 
matrices, are left in the channel and are returned to the 
spaceband box by the spaceband pawl. 

The deep cut in the bottom of the spaceband straddles the 
spaceband buffer finger which guides it in its travel through 
the assembling elevator and lessens the possibility of turn¬ 
ing or twisting. The small pin at the bottom of the space- 
band prevents it from falling apart. 

The bottom of the spaceband is beveled so that it will 
strike the matrix a glancing, but harmless, blow as it enters 
the line. 

Spacebands which are generally accepted as regular are 
termed "‘thick” by the factory. They are also made in other 
sizes known as “thin,” used with very small faces of type; 
and “extra thick,” for the larger faces or where very wide 
spacing is desired. 

Watch matrices and spacebands carefully, and immedi¬ 
ately remove any damaged, bent, or imperfect ones. A dam¬ 
aged matrix or spaceband will damage others, and the whole 
font may go to ruin within a short time unless the proper 
attention is given. 

Once in each eight hours of operation, the spacebands 
must be taken from the machine and polished with graphite 
on a soft pine board. Lay the spaceband flat on its face and 
rub it briskly backward and forward the long way of the 
band. Do not rub in a circling movement, as it tends to 
round the edges. Metal will then cast between the space- 
band and the matrix and show in print. The purpose of 


34 


cleaning is to remove the discoloration or metal adhering at 
the casting point, and to lubricate the sliding parts. If metal 
is allowed to accumulate on the spacebands, it will crush 
the side walls of the matrices when locked up. Use dry 
graphite in polishing the spacebands. Never handle them 
with dirty or greasy hands, as the dirt and grease will be 
transferred to the matrices. If the metal does not rub off, 
scrape it with a piece of brass rule. 

SPACEBAND BOX 

The spaceband box is fastened to the face plate by means 
of a screw and dowel pins. 

The spacebands slide down through the box, suspended 
by their lugs, on two inclined rails. The lower spaceband 
rests against a raised projection or hook on the inclined rail. 
The bottom end of the spaceband rests against the chute 
plate. Escapement of the spaceband is effected by two pawls 
which lift the spacebands over the rails, allowing them to 
drop into the assembling elevator. 

The pawls are located in the right-hand side of the space- 
band box, front and back. These pawls are connected to 
the pawl levers by the spaceband pawl lifting screws, and 
held in place by the rails and paw4 springs. When the pawls 
are at their lowest position, they are forced under the ears 
of the spaceband by the pawl springs. 

The pawls get their motion in the following manner: 
When the spaceband key is touched the cam is released and 
turns the same as the regular keyboard cams. This raises 
the spaceband keyrod against the tension of the spring at 
the bottom of the keyrod. The keyrod raises the right-hand 
end of the spaceband keylever. This lowers the left-hand end 
of the keylever, on which the box lever rests. This permits 
the pawls and levers to drop of their own weight. When the 
keyrod cam returns to normal, the spring on the keyrod 
pulls the keyrod and the keylever to normal, thus raising the 
pawls and levers by spring action. 

The movement of the pawls is controlled by the screw in 
the back pawl lever which rests on the spaceband keylever. 
When the pawls are at their lowest position, the bottom 


35 


of the slot in the adjusting screw is resting on the keylever. 
They must go y 32 of an inch below the inclined rails on their 
full down stroke. To make this adjustment, disconnect the 
keyboard belt from the pulley, touch the spaceband key, 
turn the rollers by hand until the pawl levers are in their 
lowest position, disconnect the keylever from the adjusting 
screw and turn the screw. 

The chute plate, against which the lower right side of the 
spaceband rests while suspended in the spaceband box, must 
be low enough so that when raised by the pawls, the bottom 
of the spaceband will be released before the top; if not, 
they will catch and hang in the box. Whenever it is neces¬ 
sary to make this adjustment it can be accomplished by 
bending the chute plate a trifle. 

When the first spaceband is being raised by the pawls, 
the weight of the other being against it would cause the next 
one to raise by friction unless it were prevented. This is 
prevented by the center bar which is fastened to a bracket 
at the top of the box. The distance from the vertical stop 
on the box rails to the pins on the center bar should be just 
enough for one spaceband to raise, the pins holding the 
second band from raising. By loosening the screw in the 
bracket and moving the *bar, adjust so that the distance 
from the vertical stop on the rails to the pins is just enough 
to permit one spaceband to raise, the pins holding the 
second one. As there are three kinds of spacebands in use— 
thin, thick, and extra thick—the above adjustment can only 
be made so as to use one thickness at a time. 

The two chute rails at the bottom of the chute guide the 
spacebands into the assembling elevator. The spacebands 
will have a tendency to catch on the assembling elevator 
rails, and not settle down in the assembler, if the rails are 
worn. There should be just room enough between the rails 
for a spaceband to slide without binding. 

TO REMOVE SPACEBAND BOX 

Push in controlling lever. Take hold of cam No. 1 and 
back the cams until the second elevator descends to its safety 
latch. Hold the spaceband transfer lever with the right hand 


36 


and press downward with left hand on the releasing lever 
in the first elevator top guide. Allow the spaceband transfer 
lever to move over into the intermediate channel. Push the 
spacebands back into the channel. Remove the screw on the 
right-hand side of the electric light bracket and move the 
bracket to clear the box. Remove the large screw in the 
center of the box and lift the box off the dowel pins. 

In replacing the spaceband box, be careful not to spring 
the lower end of the spaceband chute. Also be careful not 
to bend the ends of the inclined rails. 

SPACEBAND TROUBLES 

Transposition troubles of the spacebands may be caused 
by any of the following: Worn keyboard cam roll, keyboard 
cam sluggish, loose keyboard driving belt, keyrod spring 
weak, tongue at the bottom of spaceband chute bent too far, 
worn star wheel, pawl levers loose on the shaft, caused by 
taper pins not being tight; dirty spaceband box pawls, pawl 
levers not adjusted properly, worn pawls and rails, chute 
spring out of adjustment, chute rails worn; also on the cam 
frames with the spring bar, a weak keyboard cam yoke 
spring. 

Some of the causes for the spacebands not dropping are: 
Worn rails or pawls, lifting screw holes in pawls worn, bent 
spacebands, bent ears on spacebands, center bar out of 
adjustment, keyrod spring weak or off, dirty spaceband box 
pawls, weak pawl springs, worn rubber roll, free end of 
keyboard cam yoke gummy, pawl lever loose. On the cam 
frames with the spring bar, the cam yoke spring too tight; 
bent hinge rod on cam yoke or trigger dirty, or anything 
else that would prevent the free movement of the pawls. 

Spacebands travel through the machine suspended by 
their lugs. Constant use causes the under side of the lug to 
wear, and when spacebands with badly worn lugs are mixed 
together with new spacebands, difficulty frequently arises 
and they occasionally clog in the chute when released by 
touching the spacebar. The only remedy is to send the 
offending spaceband to the factory to be repaired. 


37 


Spaceband Box Pawls and Rails 

If the trouble is due to worn or dirty pawls, they can be 
taken out in the following manner: Remove the spaceband 
box from the machine, release the tension of the pawl 
springs by unscrewing the small screw that holds the spring, 
then take out the pawl screw and lift the pawl out of the 
box. If the pawls are to be replaced by new ones, select 
two that are the same height. Test the pawls for height by 
placing a small wooden plug in the pivot hole of the two 
pawls. The points should be the same distance from the 
pivot holes. If the old pawls are to be used, mark one pawl, 
so that they will not get mixed; for after they have been 
used, they should be kept in their regular place. Measure 
the pawls for height and also examine them to see if the 
points are worn. If uneven and the points dull, they can be 
rubbed down on an oil stone to get them even. After they 
are the same height, sharpen them on an. oil stone, being 
careful to maintain the same bevel. 

To work well, the pawls must be even as to height and 
at the points. If the pawls are rusty or gummy they can be 
cleaned by rubbing them on crocus cloth and polishing with 
graphite. 

If the spaceband box rails are to be replaced with new 
ones, the box must be taken apart. Remove the box from 
the machine. Remove the chute plate. Drive out the taper 
pin which holds the pawl levers to the lever shaft, and take 
off the levers. Take out the pawls, unscrew the two large 
screws, and pry the two castings apart. Take off the center 
bar plate by removing the two round head screws. Remove 
the old rails. Put on the new ones by fitting them on the 
dowel pins, using care to have the vertical face of the rails 
even. It is always best to renew the pawls at the same time 
new rails are put on. 

To Replace Spaceband Box Pawls 

To replace the spaceband box pawls, loosen the screw 
which holds the pawl spring to the pawl lever, unscrew the 
lifting pawl screw, place pawl in the box, screw up on the 
lifting screw, being careful to guide the screw into the hole 
on the pawl. Place the spring in the pawl slot before the 


38 


pawl lift screw is drawn tight. Tighten the spring screw, 
which holds the spring against the pawl, until the screw is 
tight. 

The pawl should rest against the back of the pawl guide 
firmly. Try the pawl to see if the spring has the proper 
tension and that the pawl is not bent so it does not work 
freely. 

LINE DELIVERY SLIDE 

The delivery slide consists of two slides which move in 
a slideway, a long finger, short finger, delivery slide rod, and 
adjusting clamp. The slide is connected by a lever link, 
lever, shaft, and split cam lever, to a roller which operates 
against the surface of cam No. 10. 

The slide gets its action, when delivering a line, from a 
strong coil spring in the column of the machine which is 
connected to a lug on the shaft. The slide is returned to 
normal by cam action, the roller being held against and 
following the surface of cam No. 10. 

When the line delivery slide is in normal position, it is 
prevented from sliding into the first elevator jaws by the 
delivery pawl, which is under the spaceband box, held 
to the face by a screw, and operated by a spring. 

This pawl has a notch on the lower side, which acts as 
a safety to prevent the slide being pulled to the left, in case 
it is not returned quite far enough for the end of the pawl 
to pass the catch. 

When the slide has returned to normal position, the 
short finger should go not more than % 6 of an inch beyond 
the end of the pawl. If the finger returns more than this 
distance, the short finger will be forced against the space- 
band box chute and cause it to spring, and very likely 
cause delay in dropping of the spacebands. 

The return adjustment is made by moving the split 
cam lever in or out. First remo\e the spaceband box so as 
to have a clear view of the pawl and finger. Then turn the 
main cams by hand until just before the high part of cam 
No. 10 is opposite the split cam lever roller. Place the 
short finger back of the delivery pawl, in normal position. 
Hold the lever and roller against the cam and tighten the 


39 


screws in the split cam lever. This should cause the short 
finger on the slide to be returned not more than y 16 of an 
inch beyond the pawl. 

This adjustment is approximate, however, due to wear 
on the connecting parts of the slide on machines which 
have been in use for some time. The adjustment is made 
on the older model machines, which do not have the split 
cam lever, by the eccentric pin on the slide lever. 

Near the right end of the first elevator jaws are two 
spring pawls which prevent the matrices from falling out 
while the line is going to casting position. The short finger 
should stop 13 / 32 of an inch inside of the first elevator. The 
last matrix on the right-hand end of the line will then be 
inside the two pawls. This adjustment is made by the screw 
in the slideway on the left end of the face plate, against 
which the slide comes to a stop. 

When the slide stops against the adjusting screw in 
the slideway, the casting mechanism will be set in action. 
It is started by the roller on the split cam lever, which 
comes in contact with the automatic stopping pawl on cam 
No. 10, forcing it from the upper stopping lever, and the 
machine goes into action. It should not start before the 
line delivery slide has come to a stop against the adjusting 
screw on the face plate. If it did, the last matrix in the 
line would not be inside the spring pawls in the first ele¬ 
vator. The plate, which is held; to the automatic stopping 
pawl by a screw on the lower end, is adjustable. Loosening 
the lower and turning the upper screw to the left will move 
the plate closer to the split lever or roller and the machine 
will be set in action sooner; moving the screw to the right, 
the reverse. This plate should be adjusted so as to knock the 
automatic stop pawl off upper stopping lever not less than 
% 4 of an inch. 

The short finger is at the right of the slide and acts as 
a support for the right end of the matrix line while it is 
being transferred to the first elevator jaws. There is a 
small extension at the top of the short finger which en¬ 
gages the delivery pawl and holds the slide in normal posi¬ 
tion until the assembling elevator is raised to send in a line 
The short finger is not adjustable. 


40 


The long finger is fastened to the left of the slide. It is 
the support for the left end of the matrix line while it is 
being transferred to the vise jaws. The long finger is ad¬ 
justed by means of the clamp. It is necessary to readjust 
this finger when the measure is changed. The long finger 
must be kept straight so it hangs vertically on the machine. 
If bent either forward or backward it will wear the assem¬ 
bling elevator. If the bottom is bent to the right, it may 
interfere with the assembler slide, or the last matrix in the 
line may not get inside the first elevator jaw pawls, thereby 
binding the matrix. If bent to the left it will bind full 
lines of matrices as they are being raised by the assem¬ 
bling elevator and cause the slide to travel slowly. 

The air chamber, which regulates the speed at which 
the slide travels, is fastened to the rear of the column and 
is connected to the split cam lever by means of a link. This 
link is also connected to the delivery air cushion piston, 
which operates in the air cylinder. As the slide moves over 
to the left this piston is forced upward into the cylinder. 
The speed is regulated by an air vent and cover at the top 
of the cylinder. Opening up the vent allows the air to 
escape quicker which in turn allows the slide to move to the 
left faster. The slide should not go over with too much 
force or it will have a tendency to loosen the screws in the 
delivery slide. 

The lever link, which is the connection between the de¬ 
livery slide and delivery lever, has a stud which fastens in 
a depression in the delivery lever and is held by a small 
plate and two screws. The other end of the lever has a 
notch that fits over a shoulder screw at the left of the rear 
side of the delivery slide. The link is held on this screw by 
means of a long, flat spring. The spring holds the link on 
the screw except when there is an undue strain on the 
delivery slide caused by something interfering with the 
free return of the slide. When the strain becomes too great, 
the spring permits the link to slip off the shoulder screw, 
disconnecting the slide from the lever to prevent breakage. 
To connect the link it is only necessary to relieve the strain 
on the delivery slide and push the link and the shoulder 
screw together. 


41 


The slideway should be well lubricated at all times to 
prevent undue wear on the sliding parts. Dry graphite 
will give more uniform action than oil on the slideway. 
If oil has been used on the slideway, it should be thoroughly 
cleaned before using graphite. 

METAL POT 

The metal pot consists of the pot jacket and pot cru¬ 
cible. The jacket is the outside casting. The crucible fits 
into the jacket, allowing space between the crucible and 
jacket for asbestos packing. The crucible is held in place 
in the jacket by three lugs, which keep it stationary in the 
jacket. All the space between the crucible and jacket is 
packed tightly with powdered asbestos which has been 
mixed with a little water until a paste is formed. This in¬ 
sulation is for the purpose of holding the heat in the crucible. 

It is very important that every pot should be well in¬ 
sulated or packed. If there is poor packing the crucible can 
not hold the heat. The result being poor slugs, and the con¬ 
sequent use of more gas than is necessary. If the machine 
takes an excessive gas flame to keep the metal in working 
condition, look for poor insulation. 

The well of the pot, which contains the metal before it 
is forced through the mouthpiece by the plunger, must have 
sufficient metal under the plunger to form a perfect slug 
when a cast is made. For that reason two holes are drilled 
in the well, one on each side, which allows the metal to enter 
the well. If the holes become closed, which they sometimes 
do if the well is not cleaned regularly, the slug will be hol¬ 
low. They should be kept open, using the end of the mouth¬ 
piece wiper, which is bent at a right angle and pointed. The 
metal pot has a capacity of 38 pounds of metal. 

Metal Pot Plunger 

The metal is forced by the plunger from the well, 
through the throat of the crucible, into the mold cell, and 
up against the line of matrices aligned in front of the mold. 

When the machine is in normal position, the plunger 
should be high enough in the well to permit the metal to 


42 


run into the well through the holes in the sides. If the 
plunger does not set above the holes, the metal can not 
flow into the well and throat, so when the line is cast the slug 
will appear porous or spongy and of light weight. 

If a plunger is worn, it will permit the metal to escape 
around the sides of the plunger when the cast is made, giv¬ 
ing a poor slug. To remedy this trouble it is sometimes 
necessary to put in a new plunger a trifle oversize (.005), 
and fit it to the well. 

A dirty plunger may bind and cause a splash of metal 
to be ejected before the pot locks up tight and, chilling on 
the back of the mold, prevent a lockup, so the metal will 
flow out over the back of the disk when the plunger acts. 
A dirty plunger will often cause a slug to have the appear¬ 
ance of cold metal. Keep the plunger and the well of the 
pot clean. 

Any kind of a wire brush may be used to clean a plunger, 
but the Ewald cleaning box is recommended, because it keeps 
all the dust confined in the box. There are several kinds of 
brushes and scrapers manufactured for use in cleaning the 
well. Use whatever method desired, but be sure it keeps the 
well clean. 

If using a rotary well brush to clean the walls of the 
well, be sure to turn it always to the right, otherwise the 
bristles may break off and stay in the well. 

If a plunger should stick in the well very tightly, raise 
the temperature a little, apply a wrench to the plunger rod 
and twist it carefully. Do not use too much force or the 
^rod may be broken. If a plunger sticks so that it can not 
be removed by the above method, dip enough metal out of 
the crucible to expose the well; squirt some oil between the 
plunger and the inside wall of the well, or drop a piece of 
tallow in the well; let it stand for a few minutes, after which 
the plunger can usually be loosened with the wrench as de¬ 
scribed. Do not pry up on the plunger for there is danger 
of breaking the rod. 

When the plunger forces the metal through the throat 
of the crucible, there will be nothing to retard the flow of 
metal against the face of the matrices if the throat of the 
crucible is clean. However, if the throat should be stopped 


43 


up with dross or dirt, retarding the flow of metal, the face 
of the slug would be glassy, and have the appearance of cold 
metal. 


Cleaning the Throat of Crucible 

To eliminate a stoppage in the throat it is sometimes 
necessary to remove the mouthpiece and scrape out the 
throat, using a throat scraper to cut away the accumula¬ 
tion of dirt and dross. 

The scraper sold by the Linotype Company is rec¬ 
ommended for the purpose. Care must be used to get the 
throat clean. Hold a receptacle that does not leak up in 
front of the crucible mouth and force the plunger down by 
hand. This will flush the throat of any floating particles of 
dross. 

Sometimes melted tallow, paraffin oil, or machine oil 
will open up the throat, by being used in the following 
manner: Dip the metal out of the pot to about an inch 
below the top of the well, remove the plunger, pour the 
melted tallow, paraffin oil, or machine oil into the well and 
replace the plunger. Cast a few blank slugs. After casting 
about six or seven slugs, fill the metal pot full of metal, 
recast blank slugs until you have filled the stick. The effect 
of the tallow or oil is to break up the dross and dirt into 
such fine particles, that whatever has accumulated in the 
throat will be forced out through the holes in the mouth¬ 
piece. This will cause considerable smoke in the room un¬ 
less you have a ventilating system. Be sure to clean your 
vise jaws and mold after you have finished, for they will 
be covered with oil. It is not necessary to remove the mouth¬ 
piece for this operation so consequently considerable time 
can be saved. But if the throat is very dirty, this method 
will not work satisfactorily. 

Cracked Crucible 

Crucibles are sometimes cracked from too much heat 
when the gas is first lighted. When the gas is turned on full 
at first, the metal in the bottom of the pot is melted before 
the metal in the upper part gets very hot. This metal in the 
bottom expands and powerful pressure is exerted on the 


44 


walls of the well and lower part of the crucible. To elimi¬ 
nate this danger the gas should be turned on about half 
force for about twenty minutes, or until the metal becomes 
warm and expanded, after which the gas may be turned on 
full force. 

Ordinarily it takes about one hour and a half to melt 
the metal and have it ready for use. The small cracks which 
are made in the bottom of the crucible when first heating 
the pot will usually be closed by the heat of the burner 
after the pressure is released. 

To remove an old crucible: Dip out as much metal as 
possible, turn out the fire, remove the four pot jacket 
cover screws, take off the cover, dig out part of the old 
asbestos, release the screw that clamps the left-hand cru¬ 
cible lug to the jacket, lift out the crucible, clean all of 
the old asbestos out of the inside of the jacket. 

To put in a new crucible: The pot jacket should be lined 
with the asbestos about an inch thick on the inside, except 
in the front part where the burners are located. Place the 
crucible in position. Care should be taken to see that it 
fits firmly in its proper position. Pack the asbestos around 
the crucible, tamping it down with a stick, and filling in 
all the spaces. Cover the well of the crucible with a rag 
while packing, so that none of the asbestos will get into the 
well. On completion of the packing, place the pot jacket 
cover in position, and fasten it down firmly with the four 
pot jacket screws, which extend down through the cover, 
into the pot jacket. 


Mouthpieces 

One of the most important parts of the pot crucible, is 
the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece on all standard machines 
contains thirty holes (size 51), one hole for each pica of the 
slug, through which the metal flows into the mold cell to 
form a slug. 

At the present time there are two styles of mouthpieces 
in general use: The wedge mouthpiece which has a gib or 
wedge to fasten it in the slot of the crucible to make a tight 
fit; and the screw mouthpiece which fastens on to the cru¬ 
cible by means of screws. 


45 


On all mouthpieces small cross vents are cut downward 
between each of the holes. There is also a vent which is 
cut from the first hole on the right-hand end of the mouth¬ 
piece. The cross vents allow the air to escape from the mold 
cell as the metal is forced in. These vents play a very im¬ 
portant part in the casting of good slugs. If the vents are 
stopped up with dross or cold metal, the air can not escape 
from the mold cell. This causes a slug with air bubbles, 
making a light-weight slug. These air bubbles, when near 
the face of the type, allow the letters to be crushed in when 
put under pressure on the press. Also, the entire slug may 
be forced down, causing much delay in printing. 

Care must be taken in cutting the vents in a mouthpiece 
so they do not extend very far above the top of the holes 
in the mouthpiece and that they are not too deep. They 
should be deep in the center and come to a very fine edge 
at the ends. All that is needed is to get the air out of 
the mold quickly. Ordinarily this can be accomplished by 
cleaning the vents with a sharp pointed scraper but be care¬ 
ful not to mar the mouthpiece. When the vents are opened 
properly there should be a sprue of metal below the vents 
on the back of the mold about V 2 to % of an inch long after 
the slug is cast. 

A vent that is cut too deep will have too much sprue, 
causing an unnecessary amount of shavings on the floor 
and about the machine, and sometimes causing machine 
troubles. 

It should seldom be necessary to drill out the holes in 
a mouthpiece. If the metal is properly cared for in re¬ 
melting, and the mouthpiece is kept at the proper tempera¬ 
ture, the metal will usually flow freely through the holes. 
However, if it is found necessary to drill out the holes, 
never use larger than a y 16 inch or No. 51 drill, which will 
not make the holes larger than their original size. When 
using the drill, it should be immersed in oil after each 
hole is drilled, to prevent the drill from becoming too hot 
and breaking off in the hole. Enlarging the mouthpiece 
holes will work satisfactorily on large faces 8-point or above; 
but when the smaller faces are used the product will not 
have a clear-cut face. 


46 


To Remove a Mouthpiece 

When it is necessary to remove a mouthpiece for clean¬ 
ing out the throat of the crucible, mark a line on the face 
of the crucible to align with the first hole on the right end 
of the mouthpiece. When replacing the mouthpiece the line 
will be your guide. By so adjusting there will be a full 
hole on each end of the slug when casting the different 
lengths, with the exception of half-pica measures. A hole 
on the adjustable or left end being partly covered by the 
liner in the mold would cause no trouble. If part of the 
first hole should be covered by the constant liner, the first 
letter on the right end of the slug would be blurred, or would 
not cast sharply, because the’ metal cools quickly on the 
ends of the mold, and a full, free flow is necessary. 

The mouthpiece should always be removed when the 
metal is hot. If removed when cold there would be danger 
of breaking the pot crucible. 

When removing the wedge style mouthpiece, place the 
vise in second position, lift out the mold slide, place a block 
of wood between the right side of the pot jacket and the 
slideway, drive the mouthpiece toward the keyboard, using 
a piece of brass as a drift. The above operation is necessary 
to loosen the wedge. The instant the mouthpiece moves, the 
wedge will become loose and can be lifted out. 

Another method of removal is to grip the left-hand end 
of the gib with a pair of pliers, pulling the end of the gib 
forward and wrapping it around the pliers, prying against 
a piece of brass rule placed along the face of the mouthpiece. 
Care must be used in this method to hold the pliers at such 
an angle that the lip of the crucible will not be damaged 
while removing the gib. 

Always have a new gib on hand before removing a 
mouthpiece, for it is difficult to use an old one in replacing 
a mouthpiece. 

In replacing an old mouthpiece, extreme care must be 
taken to see that it is perfectly clean and straight. Clean 
the mouthpiece thoroughly and with a straight-edge test 
the mouthpiece to see that it is straight. If not, straighten it, 
being careful not to damage. This need not be done with a 
new mouthpiece. 


47 


Before placing the mouthpiece in the crucible, remove 
the left-hand vise locking stud nut and pull out the stud. Be 
careful not to lose the small brass washer which is on the 
stud. The removal of the stud permits the sliding in of the 
mouthpiece easily. The lips and the slot of the crucible, 
which are the seat for the mouthpiece, must be entirely 
free from all dirt and dross or the mouthpiece can not 
seat properly. 

It is best to fit a mouthpiece to its seat by placing a 
very thin coating of fine emery and oil (fine valve grinding 
compound is good) on the back and top part of the mouth¬ 
piece. This method cleans the seat of all the accumulated 
dross and dirt. Place the mouthpiece in position in the pot 
so the top of mouthpiece is against the top seat and move 
back and forth, bearing lightly against the mouthpiece, 
until the high spots are ground down, so as to have the seat 
straight. When doing this, care must be taken not to get 
the paste on any other part of the machine, as it might 
cause trouble. The metal should be at casting temperature 
while fitting a mouthpiece. To hold the mouthpiece for this 
operation, procure a piece of wood furniture the same width 
and length of the mouthpiece, fasten this to the mouthpiece 
by driving a headless brad in each end of the wood directly 
in line with the last hole on each end of the mouthpiece. 
By placing the wood on the mouthpiece the brads pass 
through the two holes and make a very serviceable holder. 

After fitting the mouthpiece, thoroughly clean all parts 
of the crucible lip, slot, and mouthpiece. The least particle 
of grit may cause trouble. 

Fit the gib by dressing it, so that it will drive far enough 
to the right to make a tight fit. Cover the top and bottom 
with a thin coating of red lead and oil. Place the mouthpiece 
in position, the first hole in line with the mark on the cru¬ 
cible. Insert the wedge in the lower side and push it in as 
far as possible with a pair of pliers. Then drive in the 
gib so as to secure the mouthpiece firmly. Be careful that 
the mouthpiece does not move as the gib is being driven 
in. Lay a brass rule against the whole length of the gib and 
tap lightly with a hammer to firmly locate the gib on the 


48 


seat, and at the same time, bring the outer edge of the gib 
slightly below the face of the mouthpiece. 

After driving the mouthpiece to its proper position see 
that the ends are not burred; if so, file them off, as they 
might prevent the mouthpiece from locking up properly 
against the mold, and cause a back squirt. 

The screw mouthpiece is held to the crucible by 13 
screws. The screw holes in the mouthpiece are counter-sunk 
so the heads of these screws will not extend beyond the face 
of the mouthpiece. 

To remove the screw style mouthpiece from the crucible, 
use the pot mouth screw loosener obtainable from the Lino¬ 
type Company. Fit the loosener in the groove of the screw 
and tap the head with a hammer. As the screws will be 
tight, due to the heat and dross, this tapping will loosen 
them without damaging the screw heads. The screws can 
then be removed with a screw-driver. 

Some features of the new mouthpiece are: There is no 
danger of breaking the lips of the crucible, by driving the 
wedge in too far; it also eliminates the possibilities of bat¬ 
tering the ends of the mouthpiece, as with the wedge style; 
leaking around the mouthpiece and improper setting when 
taken off and replaced is less likely to occur. 

Due to the width of the face, one mouthpiece is sufficient 
for a slug of any size. This eliminates the necessity for a 
special mouthpiece for display, which was necessary with 
the older models. 

Before replacing a screw mouthpiece be sure to thor¬ 
oughly clean the surface of the crucible and the back of 
the mouthpiece of all dirt and dross. Place a thin coating of 
red lead and oil on the back of the mouthpiece and place it 
in position. Tighten the screws gradually, beginning at the 
ends and working toward the center. 

Metal Pot Adjustments 

There are two pot leg bushings which fit over the vice 
frame shaft and project up into the fork of the pot leg. 
These support the metal pot and hold it in position to lock 
up with the mold. The position of the pot in relation to 
the mouthpiece is determined by four adjusting screws in 


49 


each pot leg and bearing against the bushings. These 
screws permit the proper alignment of the mold and mouth¬ 
piece. 

The holes in the mouthpiece, through which the metal 
passes to the mold cell, should align with the smooth or 
constant side of the slug, as this side of the mold always 
remains in the same position. When using the mold liners 
for the different points of thickness of slugs, the position of 
the mold cap changes. If the holes should align with the 
rib side of a slug of large size, when changing to 6-point slug 
the mold cap would cover the holes, thus shutting off the 
flow of metal and causing an imperfect lockup or imper¬ 
fect slugs. 

The two screws at the top and bottom of each pot leg 
are for the purpose of aligning the holes in the mouthpiece 
with the constant side of the mold. 

To make this adjustment, remove the mold and take 
it apart. Clean thoroughly the mold and mold pocket. 
Leave the cap off and place the constant part of the mold 
back in the pocket with a 30-em left-hand liner and a con¬ 
stant right-hand liner in the mold. Remove the plunger pin 
for safety. Turn the machine until the first elevator rests 
on the vise cap. The mold should now be in front of the 
mouthpiece. Raise the first elevator, holding it up with a 
piece of wood, one end under the head of the slide and the 
other on the upper end of the vise automatic stop rod. 
Close the vise. Unlock the mold cam lever, move the mold 
disk forward by hand so the locking studs can enter the 
bushings. Turn the machine by hand until the mouthpiece 
advances against the mold. Release the two front adjust¬ 
ing screws a trifle so the pot legs can move freely while 
making the adjustment. Release the lock nuts and move 
the top and bottom screws until the bottom of the holes in 
the mouthpiece are in line with the constant part of the 
mold, and the two end holes are showing within the liners. 
Tighten the lock nuts and the front adjusting screws after 
finishing the adjustment. 

A great amount of lockup trouble is caused by the 
mouthpiece on the metal pot not locking up squarely against 


50 


the mold, due to the front and back pot leg screws being 
out of adjustment or the mouthpiece being warped. 

To adjust the pot legs so the mouthpiece will lock up 
squarely with the mold, place the machine and the mold 
(without the cap) and the 30-em liners in the same position 
as when adjusting the height, but have the mold cam lever 
connected to the mold slide. Leave a little space between the 
mold and the mouthpiece. Place a piece of tissue paper at 
each end of the mold between the mold and the mouthpiece. 
Have the paper just inside the ends of the liners. Turn the 
machine forward until the pump lever is ready to go down 
for the cast. Be sure the plunger pin has been removed, to 
prevent accidentaly forcing the metal out of the pot. 

If the left-hand paper should be tight and the right- 
hand paper loose, loosen the front pot screw at the left and 
turn in on the back screw. This will move the left end of 
the mouthpiece farther back. Adjust with the front and 
back screws in this manner until both papers are held 
tightly. 

After completing the adjustment, replace the cap on the 
mold and turn the machine to normal position. 

Another method of testing the pot lockup is to let the 
machine make the quarter revolution which brings the mold 
in front of the mouthpiece. Disconnect the mold lever and 
pull the mold slide forward. Apply a thin even coating of a 
mixture of red lead and oil, or printers’ ink, to the back of 
the mold. Be sure to have the mold clean. Hold out the mold 
disk driving pinion, so the disk will not revolve, and let the 
machine run around without casting. The mixture will 
transfer from the mold to the mouthpiece. If the mouth¬ 
piece is touching only on one end of the mold it can be 
adjusted by the screws in the sides of the pot legs. Adjust 
them to swing the crucible to bring about a tight fit, repeat¬ 
ing the above test until the transfer is registering evenly 
the full length of the mouthpiece. After each test wipe off 
the mouthpiece and mold, for any oil or too much red lead 
or ink would give a false impression. 

If the mouthpiece touches at both ends and not in the 
center or in the center and not on the ends, it indicates that 


51 


the mouthpiece is warped and the above adjustments would 
not be satisfactory. 

When the mouthpiece is warped or high, it is necessary 
to take out the high spots with a fine file or an oil stone. 
Take off a very little of the surface at a time and repeat 
the tests with the red lead until a proper lockup is secured 
all the way across the mouthpiece. 

After fitting up a mouthpiece in this manner, the vents 
should be cut to their original depth. 

After making the pot adjustments, test the mold slide 
adjustment to make sure that it brings the face of the mold 
to within .010 of an inch from the face of the matrices. 
See that the pot lever has the Vl6 of an inch play needed 
during lockup. 

Be sure the washers on the pot lever shaft are so placed 
that the sides of the lever do not bear on the cams. 

Pot Lever 

The pot lever is located directly back of the metal pot 
and, through cam No. 8 and the pot cam roller, gives the pot 
its forward and backward action. There is a cushion spring 
on the pot lever eyebolt that connects the lower end of the 
pot lever to the pot jacket. This spring gives the lockup of 
the pot and mold and takes up all excess motion of the lever 
during the lockup. 

There is a short piece of pipe pinned to the eyebolt in¬ 
side of the spring, which prevents having too much tension 
on the spring. The nut on the front is the adjusting nut. 
This nut has a washer next to the spring, to keep the 
spring from being forced over the head of the nut. This 
nut should be tight against the pipe. With the end of the 
rear nut against the pipe on the bolt, there should be % 6 
of an inch from the back of the pot lever to the head of the 
nut when the machine is in casting position. This % 6 of an 
inch adjustment gives the correct lockup to the pot and also 
prevents breaking the lever by too much pressure. 

The pot lever spring should be examined frequently, 
as back squirts will be caused by a spring which is broken 
or worn. This trouble is caused by not giving pressure 


52 


enough to the mouthpiece when it is being locked against 
the mold for the cast. 

A lever spring weak, worn, or out of adjustment will 
also cause an uneven height of the matrices, due to the 
lack of pressure during the cast. 

When it is necessary to remove a pot lever spring, pull 
the pot forward by hand, place a support beneath the pot 
jacket to hold the pot lever roll off the cam. Remove the pot 
balancing spring, take off the rear nut on the eyebolt and 
push back on the lever. The spring can then be removed. 

The roller in the pot lever has nine anti-friction roller 
bearings. These rollers should frequently be examined for 
wear, and if found worn should be renewed, because a set 
of worn anti-friction rollers will also cause an imperfect 
lockup. When renewing these rollers, put in all nine new 
ones. If a roller is worn or broken, or the bearing pin or 
pot lever roller worn, there will be play between the lever 
and cam, which will prevent a tight lockup. 

To take out the pot lever: Pull the pot forward by hand, 
place a support beneath the pot jacket, remove the balancing 
spring, loosen the screw in the upper shaft bearing, and pull 
the shaft out. On the upper shaft bearing on each side of 
the pot lever, are washers of varying thickness. These 
washers are for the purpose of adjusting the pot lever side- 
wise so it will not bind on the main cams. When taking out 
this shaft be careful that the washers are not lost or mixed. 

Take out the wing pin that holds the eyebolt to the pot 
jacket. Place the lever on the bench and take out roller 
bearings by releasing the set screw and pulling out the roller 
pin. Before replacing the bearings, in the lower roller, 
coat them with vaseline or hard grease. By placing a small 
piece of an old keyboard rubber roll in the hole, so the bear¬ 
ings fit around it, they will be held in place until the pin is 
slipped through. The pin will force the rubber out. 

Fastened to the back of the pot lever, at the right-hand 
side, is the pot return cam shoe. As the main cams revolve, 
the pot return cam, fastened to cam No. 9, comes in contact 
with the shoe, pulling the pot away from the mold after the 
slug has been cast. 


53 


Removing a Pot 

To remove a pot from a machine: Remove the plunger, 
dip as much metal out of the pot as possible. Lower the first 
elevator to the vise cap, and let vise down to second position. 
Remove the mold slide. Take off the pot leg caps. Loosen 
the front adjusting screws in the pot legs. Loosen the nut 
on the pot lever eyebolt, to release the spring tension. Take 
out the pot lever shaft, and remove the pot lever. Take off 
the mold disk shield and pump stop bracket. The pot can 
then be lifted out by placing a rope through the supports on 
the jacket for the pot lever shaft, so that the pot can be 
raised up while it is being guided out of the machine by 
taking hold of the bottom of the pot legs. 

Slug Troubles 

An imperfect face on slugs could be caused by any of the 
following: Holes in the mouthpiece not inside the slug line, 
holes in the mouthpiece closed, or partly so; vents in the 
mouthpiece filled up, or insufficient ventage; dross in the 
throat of the pot back of the mouthpiece, mold cell rough 
inside, due to being damaged; mold cell dirty or oily, in¬ 
ferior metal, holes from the pot to the well stopped up, 
plunger not clearing the well holes, plunger or pot well 
dirty, governor not working properly, temperature of the 
metal not adapted to the size of slug being cast, cold metal. 
Too large a hole in the mouthpiece will give a small slug an 
imperfect face. 

When the slug is cold, the body of the slug may be solid 
and have a stringy or flaky appearance, and the face may be 
imperfect, some of the letters being poorly cast or blurred. 
The base of the slug usually will be good. 

When the slug is too hot the face is good, but the body is 
hollow and spongy and the slug is light. It is imperfectly 
formed, due to the heat of the metal. 

A bright bottom on a slug shows that the mold knife 
has trimmed a thin layer of metal from the bottom of the 
slug, due to an imperfect lockup, the excess metal running 
over the bottom of the mold. If the mouthpiece makes a 
perfect contact with the mold at the moment of casting. 


54 


there will be no excess metal and the slug will show a clean 
bottom. 

An imperfect lockup can be caused by any of the follow¬ 
ing: Cold metal due to low gas pressure, dirty burners, gas 
burning in mixer, improper packing around the mouthpiece, 
or improperly packed metal pot; hot metal, too much metal 
in the pot, dirty plunger or well, air vents cut too deep, 
air vents cut too high above holes, dull mold knife, pot cam 
lever roller or bearing pin worn, pot lever not working 
freely on the lever shaft, due to gum or lack of oil; metal 
on the bottom of the mold, mold knife out of adjustment, 
mold disk guide out of adjustment, leaky mouthpiece, 
warped mold, pot lever spring weak or broken, accumula¬ 
tion of metal back of the mold disk, mold cap guides bent, 
loose stay bolt, loose adjusting screws on pot legs. 

GASOLINE BURNER 

There are three methods commonly used to heat a metal 
pot: Gasoline burner, gas burner, and electric heater. 

The gasoline burner in most cases is undesirable on 
account of cost, time, and fire hazard; but through the lack 
of electrical current or gas it must sometimes be used. 

There is a burner designed for either gasoline or kero¬ 
sene by the Linotype Company. This burner will give com¬ 
plete combustion in burning either gasoline or kerosene. 
It has no threaded joints and, therefore, no joints to leak. 
It is equipped with a positive mouthpiece burner and con¬ 
trol. This burner can be taken apart for cleaning without 
removing any screws. The fuel is forced to the burner from 
a pressure tank. With this improved mouthpiece burner 
control, the burner may be adjusted for a slug of any size. 
The best results can be obtained from a gasoline or kerosene 
burner by keeping it clean. 

GAS BURNERS 

The gas burner used to heat the metal pot is made up 
of three sections. The largest burner heats the main part 
of the pot. Another pipe leads up to heat the throat, and a 
small burner heats the mouthpiece. The pot and throat 


55 


burners are held near the pot by a rod which passes through 
the pot jacket and under the pot burner. The mouthpiece 
burner is held in place by a support and a screw which 
extends into the pot jacket. 

The gas enters the burners through the pot gas burner 
cocks. The gas cock that feeds the pot burner has a larger 
inlet hole than those of the throat or the mouthpiece burn¬ 
ers, because more gas is required for the pot burner. The 
inlet holes must be kept open and free from soot and metal, 
but should never be drilled larger at any time. Should you 
find a burner tip that has been drilled, a new tip should be 
applied by driving out the old tip and inserting a new one. 

As the gas leaves the gas cock it passes through the air 
mixer. The air mixer is open on the bottom side and allows 
a flow of air to mix with the gas. Unless the gas is mixed 
with the proper amount of air it will not make sufficient 
heat under the pot. Do not at any time allow the gas to 
burn in the mixer. Sometimes when lighting the gas or 
when the pressure is low the flame may light in the mixer. 
It should then be turned out and relighted, holding a flame 
near the burner. Should the gas be allowed to burn in the 
mixer the heat will be lost before it reaches the burner; 
and furthermore, the burner will soon become clogged with 
soot. 

From the mixer, the gas passes upward into the pot 
burner. The pot burner consists of a circular shaped cham¬ 
ber which is covered with a flat plate. The top rim of the 
chamber is notched, which allows the gas to flow out around 
the top plate, forming a very hot flame. The flame from 
the burner should be of a bluish appearance. A dirty burner 
will cause a yellow flame. There is very little heat in a 
yellow flame, and when the burner shows a yellow flame, 
it usually indicates a dirty burner or a fire in the mixer. 
A very important part of the burner is the top plate. When 
this plate becomes warped or badly burned it should be 
replaced with a new one. 

Two pipes lead out from the front end of the pot burner 
to carry a flame up under the crucible throat. These pipes 
are fed through the front gas cock. The gas passes through 
a separate chamber in the front side of the pot burner. 


56 


It is very essential that these burners are working properly 
as they keep the metal hot in the throat of the crucible. 

The mouthpiece burner consists of a small pipe into 
which holes have been drilled to allow the gas to escape. 
This burner extends underneath the mouth of the crucible 
the full length of the mouthpiece. There are two extra holes 
on the right-hand end to give a little more flow of gas at 
that point. The holes should never be reamed out larger, 
but should be kept clean and free from soot or metal. Metal 
sometimes gets through the holes and partly fills the pipe. 
This retards the free flow of gas and causes loss of heat to 
the mouthpiece. 

Good slugs from a machine are to a great extent de¬ 
pendent on good, clean burners. Only experience on various 
machines will enable one to tell just how much flame to 
carry in each burner on a machine. The governor should 
regulate the pot and throat burners, when once adjusted. 
However, it is better for the operator to regulate the mouth¬ 
piece burner with the gas cock, according to the size of the 
slug being cast. 


Gas Pot Hints 

Keep gas tips clean and round. A blue flame is the heat¬ 
ing flame. Watch the mouthpiece burner. Clean out metal 
and dross which forms there due to metal dripping from the 
mouthpiece. 

If the mouthpiece burner does not give a long, blue flame 
after cleaning, procure a new mouthpiece burner and re¬ 
place the old one. 

A yellow flame indicates too little air in the mixture. 
This can be caused from too large a hole in the gas tip, air 
inlet partly closed, dirty burners, or gas burning in the 
mixer. Sometimes the hole in the tip of the gas cock is too 
large. The hole can be peaned with a small hammer and 
reamed out with a small broach to the proper size. 

The pot burner top plate is fastened by four stove bolts. 
These bolts become charred and brittle from the heat, and 
the nuts will be very hard to start. Have a few of these 
bolts on hand when changing the plates, because the plate 
must fit tightly to the burner to obtain the best results. 


57 


Good slugs can not be produced with dirty burners. Keep 
them clean. It is better to spend ten or fifteen minutes clean¬ 
ing the burners than to lose an hour trying to regulate the 
temperature of the metal. 

To Remove the Gas Burners 

Disconnect the hose on the older styles or the gas pipe 
union on the newer styles. Separate the mouthpiece burner 
from the crucible at the sleeve. (This operation is not nec¬ 
essary on the thermostat connections.) Pull out the rod 
which holds the burners in place and lift them out. 

To remove the mouthpiece burner, take out the screw 
which holds the support to the jacket of the pot, slip the 
connecting sleeve back, and pull the burner to the left. 

PRESSURE GOVERNOR 

The pressure governor is used to control the flow of gas 
to the machine and to keep it at an even pressure. The gov¬ 
ernor is placed on the main gas line so the gas must pass 
through it before flowing to the machine. It is not neces¬ 
sary to have a pressure governor on each machine, for where 
there is more than one machine, a governor large enough 
to supply any amount may be secured. 

The gas enters through a valve in the bottom of the 
governor and passes up into the supply chamber. From the 
supply chamber the gas flows out to the machine burner. 
The pressure in the supply chamber is regulated by an in¬ 
verted cup float. The lower rim of the float is immersed in 
mercury, which causes the cup to float and also acts as a 
seal to prevent the gas escaping through the top of the 
governor. Weights are placed on top of the float to counter¬ 
balance the gas pressure. Fastened to the float is a rod 
which passes through the gas chamber. This rod connects 
to and operates the valve in the inlet opening. When the 
gas pressure is increased it raises the float by its pressure. 
When the float raises, it at the same time raises the 
valve in the intake, which decreases the opening through 
which the gas enters. Should the pressure in the main 
fall ofF, the float sinks deeper into the mercury, and the 


58 


opening in the valve is opened, permitting a greater flow of 
gas. Thus the pressure in the gas chamber is held uniform, 
because the greater the pressure on the float, the smaller 
the opening for the gas to enter. 

To regulate the pressure, place weights on the float un¬ 
til sufficient gas flows to the burners to give a good flame. 

MERCURY GAS GOVERNOR 

In a governor of this style, the gas from the main line 
passes through the upper pipe, down through the internal 
tube, and escapes between the end of this tube and a column 
of mercury in the mercury tube, passing up behind the in¬ 
ternal tube, and out through the lower pipe to the burners. 

To prepare the governor for use, remove the adjusting 
rod and pour in mercury until it rises in the mercury tube 
almost to the lower end of the internal tube, which can be 
seen through the glass disk at the side of the governor. 
When the metal in the pot reaches the proper temperature, 
the surface of the mercury stands at the lower end of the 
internal tube, but a notch in the side of this tube above the 
mercury permits a flow of gas sufficient to prevent shutting 
the gas entirely off underneath the pot. When the tempera¬ 
ture falls, the mercury in the holder and column will be 
cooled, and its surface lowered in the tube. This will allow 
an increased flow of gas to the burner until the temperature 
of the pot is raised to the proper point. 

The regulation of the governor is effected by moving the 
adjusting rod in or out. If the temperature in the pot is too 
high and the mercury fails to close the tube, the adjusting 
rod must be moved in until the mercury raises in the tube. 
If the temperature in the pot is too low, the mercury closes 
the tube before the proper temperature is reached in the 
pot. Thus the rod must be moved out until the mercury is 
lowered from the top of the tube to the proper extent. 

THERMOSTAT GAS GOVERNOR 

The supply of gas at the burners is controlled by the 
expansion and contraction of rods immersed in the molten 
metal in the crucible at the left-hand side of the metal pot. 


59 


These rods are of a special alloy, which is extremely sensi¬ 
tive to variations of heat. No mercury is used, so that the 
governor is not affected by the pressure of the gas at any 
time. 

The principle upon which the thermostat is built, is the 
difference in expansion of two metals under heat. 

The part of the thermostat which is immersed in the 
metal is made of cast iron and has a hole or pocket in which 
the rod of composition metal sets. The upper end pushes 
against a hinged lever; the other end of this lever operates 
a valve plunger. The expansion of the thermostat rod be¬ 
ing greater than cast iron, raises the valve lever, which 
forces down the valve plunger, seating the plunger nearer 
the valve seat. This cuts down the flow of gas to the burn¬ 
ers. The rod contracts as the metal cools, and allows the 
valve spring to open the valve. 

Underneath the valve rod cap and encircling the valve 
rod, is a spiral spring which raises the valve rod as the ex¬ 
pansion rod contracts, which opens the gas inlet, and also 
keeps the expansion rod pushed to the bottom of the pocket. 

In the lower end of the valve is a hole to prevent the 
burner going out if valve is entirely closed. This hole 
must not be enlarged. 

The valve adjusting screw is slotted and has a setscrew 
inserted through the valve lever to keep the adjusting 
screw from turning. Between the head of the adjusting 
screw and under part of the lever is a spring which forces 
the head of adjusting screw against the cap of the valve. 
When tightening up on the adjusting nut the spring closes, 
releasing some of the pressure on the valve, permitting more 
gas to pass the valve. By loosening the adjusting nut the 
spring expands, forcing the valve down, cutting down the 
flow of gas to the burners. 

To adjust thermostat, if metal is not hot enough, raise 
the adjusting screw by turning the adjusting nut farther 
down; if the metal is too hot, unscrew adjusting nut, allow¬ 
ing the adjusting screw to force the valve farther down. 

The screw in the top of the expansion rod is for the 
purpose of making the rod longer, should occasion require. 
Do not change this screw unless necessary. 


60 


There are two sets of rods and valves on the regular 
equipment. One set regulates the gas to the pot burners and 
the other regulates the gas to the mouthpiece burner. Ex¬ 
perience has shown that it is impractical to regulate the 
mouthpiece from the crucible, so cut off this part of the 
regulation and use a gas burner cock. 

ELECTRIC POT DEFINITIONS 

The circuit is that part of the equipment such as copper 
wires, resistance wires, switches, etc., which is intended 
to carry electric current. They are all insulated from the 
frame of the pot. 

The current is the electricity passing through the equip¬ 
ment. 

Amperes is the volume of current passing through. 

Volts is the strength or pressure of the current. 

A watt is the product of the volts multiplied by the 
amperes. 

A kilowatt is 1,000 watts. 

A kilowatt hour is one kilowatt of current used for one 
hour. 

A ground is a bare part of the electric circuit accident¬ 
ally touching the frame of the pot. 

A short circuit is one or more grounds which will allow 
the current to take a shorter path. 

An open is an interruption in the electric circuit such as 
a broken wire, etc. 

Resistance is an obstruction in the electric circuit re¬ 
tarding the flow of current. 

Series connection means that two or more units are con¬ 
nected in line with each other. Current enters one terminal, 
passes through the windings, out of the other terminal, and 
directly into the next unit, through its windings, and out to 
the opposite side of the line. 

Parallel or multiple connection means that two or more 
units are wired in such a way that each makes a com¬ 
plete circuit of themselves. Current enters a unit, passing 
through its windings, and directly back to the line. 

Shunt—A conductor joining two points in a circuit and 
designed to divert part of the current. 


61 


An electrical circuit carrying current can best be simply 
explained by considering an iron pipe through which water 
is flowing under pressure. The pipe represents the circuit, 
and water passing through it represents the current. The 
volume of water flowing represents the amperes, and the 
pressure of the water represents the volts. A leak which 
allows the water to escape represents a short circuit, and 
a valve in the pipe partially closed represents resistance. 

ELECTRIC POT 

The electrical equipment consists of four heaters, a 
dynamic thermometer, and a unit control panel. The passage 
of electric current through the windings inside the heaters 
generates heat which melts the metal in the crucible and 
raises it to the proper operating temperature, while the dy¬ 
namic thermometer and the magnetic switch on the control 
panel operate to keep the metal at this predetermined tem¬ 
perature. These equipments are either 110 to 120 volts or 
210 to 220 volts, direct current or alternating current. 

The crucible heaters are the same for all voltages; they 
are connected in “series” for 200-volt to 250-volt circuits 
and in “parallel” for 100-volt to 125-volt circuits. They are 
immersed directly in the metal and partially surround the 
pump-well, heating the metal by direct contact. The heat¬ 
ing element or resistor of these heaters is composed of re¬ 
sistant ribbon wound on strips of clear mica. Strips of mica 
entirely surround the resistor, completely insulating it from 
the metal parts of the pot. The resistors are protected by 
strong metal casings which surround them. They are not 
subject to wear and tear in normal service. 

Heating the metal by direct contact from within the 
metal itself by these heaters, makes a very efficient equip¬ 
ment, as all of the heat generated is immediately transmit¬ 
ted to the metal exactly where it is required, and there is no 
loss of heat due to faulty conduction. The dynamic ther¬ 
mometer bulb being immersed in the metal adjacent to the 
heaters and the pump-well, permits of a very close tempera¬ 
ture regulation. 

As these heaters extend nearly the full height of the 
metal in the crucible and pass down through the top of the 


62 


metal, there is no possibility of cracking a crucible. When 
the metal begins to heat, it is that portion in direct contact 
with the heaters which first becomes molten. Internal pres¬ 
sure is relieved by this melted pathway and the molten 
metal will flow to the top of the pot. 

It is important that the pot never be filled with metal 
above the under side of the ring which is cast on the inside 
of the crucible. If the crucible is filled above this ring, 
metal may splash over into the heating insulating material 
and touch the electric terminals, grounding them. 

The crucible heater must be entirely covered with metal 
at all times. If they are not, that portion that is exposed to 
the air will get very hot and continued exposure will burn 
them out, destroying them. They are not designed for opera¬ 
tion in the air. 

Do not pry around the units with a screwdriver or pound 
on them, if the metal envelope is punctured, molten metal 
will immediately enter, grounding the element and destroy¬ 
ing the unit. 

The temperature in the crucible is controlled by an ad¬ 
justable dynamic therometer mounted on the side of the pot, 
and which operates a switch in the control panel, turning the 
current on and off as needed. The bulb and tube of this ther¬ 
mometer contain mercury and the bulb is immersed in the 
metal in front of the well of the crucible. The tube is con¬ 
nected to a flattened hollow coiled spring tube. The mercury 
also passes through this air tight spring tube. On the free 
end of this coiled spring tube is fastened an insulated pin 
which operates the contact lever. The contact lever is sus¬ 
pended downward between two metal contact disks. These 
contact disks and the contact lever are connected to the main 
line through a magnetic switch mounted in the control panel. 
The thermometer only carries current long enough for the 
magnetic switch to connect and then the current is carried 
directly through the switch. 

As the temperature of the metal rises the mercury in 
the bulb expands causing the coiled spring to uncoil slightly, 
driving the contact lever against the disk that shuts off the 
current, allowing the switch to fall open and disconnecting 
the circuit through the crucible heaters. 


63 


As the temperature of the metal falls, the mercury in the 
bulb contracts allowing the coiled spring to force the con¬ 
tact lever against the disk that turns the current on by con¬ 
necting the switch to the main line. The variation in the 
temperature is held within 15 degrees of the average work¬ 
ing temperature. 

The temperature control is normally set for a maximum 
of 550 degrees and a minimum of 535 degrees, that is, with 
normal operation the temperature of the metal will always 
be between these limits. This is found to give the best all 
around casting results for average metal. In case it is de¬ 
sired at any time to change the operating temperature, this 
can be done by turning adjusting screw right-handed for 
hotter metal, and left-handed for cooler metal. The head of 
this adjusting screw projects through the right-hand side 
of the dynamic thermometer cover. 

Do not change the position of the control disks, unless 
badly pitted, as their relative distance is determined at the 
factory, and very seldom need to be changed. 

A good thermometer should always be used when adjust¬ 
ing the screw for proper heat. Guessing will not get the 
proper results. 

With ordinary work, and after the metal is at operating 
temperature, the current will be on and the crucible heaters 
generating heat about three minutes, then off and not gener¬ 
ating heat about twelve minutes, and will repeat this cycle 
as long as snap switch is left in the “on” position. 

Throat and Mouthpiece Heaters 

The mouth and throat heaters are clamped in close con¬ 
tact with the outside of the crucible throat to keep the 
metal at the operating temperature while being pumped 
from the crucible to the mold. The throat heater extends 
the full length of the pot throat and is held in close contact 
with it. The mouth heater is clamped tightly to the pot 
mouth. Both heaters are surrounded with heat insulating 
material and are held in close contact with the pot throat 
and mouth by a U-shaped clamp under the throat unit and 
a plate over the mouth unit, drawn tight by two nuts. 


64 


The mouth and throat heaters are always connected in 
“series,” one set being used for 100-volt to 125-volt and 
another set for 200-volt to 250-volt. 

The heat for the throat and mouth units are controlled 
by a manually controlled rheostat moving from the left to 
the right, and fastened to the front of the control panel 
under and at the rear of the keyboard. 

The rheostat is connected directly to the mouth and 
throat heater and is not controlled by the dynamic ther¬ 
mometer. 

The crucible heaters are intended for heating the metal 
to the proper temperature, and the mouth and throat heat¬ 
ers are only intended to keep the metal at the proper tem¬ 
perature while being forced from the crucible to the mold. 

If the voltage is irregular and remains too high for some 
time, or a speedy operator casts large slugs at a rapid rate 
continuously, the mouthpiece is apt to become heated and 
the slugs will have hollow backs. In this case it will be neces¬ 
sary to turn rheostat knob left-handed, but if the voltage 
remains low for some length of time, or a slow operator 
casts small slugs slowly, the mouthpiece may become cold 
and the slugs will have poor faces, in which case the rheostat 
knob should be turned right-handed. 

When casting large slugs in rapid succession the mold 
is apt to become heated, but attempting to regulate the tem¬ 
perature of the metal in the crucible to overcome the heat¬ 
ing of the mold will fail, because the electric pot is a heating 
unit only and will not cool the mold. 

The control panel consists of a magnet switch mounted 
on a slate panel enclosed in a steel cabinet. The cabinet also 
has a suitable fuse cut-out and the switches which control 
both the pot and the electric motor (if used) and places all 
controls within easy reach of the operator. Connection is 
made between the pot proper, the dynamic thermometer, and 
the control panel by suitable wiring enclosed in a flexible 
conduit. 

Care of Electric Metal Pot 

The contact points on the thermometer and the magnetic 
switch should be kept clean and free from corrosion. Use 
No. 00 sand-paper. (Never use emery cloth or paper.) Dirt 


65 


and corrosion are electrical insulators, and if these contacts 
become dirty, electrical contact may not be made when the 
temperature reaches 550 degrees F.; the magnetic switch 
will not open and the crucible heaters will continue to in¬ 
crease the temperature of the metal until the fuses are 
blown; the dynamic thermometer permanently injured, or 
the heating units burned out. When the temperature 
reaches above 550 degrees, the metal is too hot, causing back 
squirts. When the metal has cooled, the contacts, owing 
to the dirt, will not operate, and the metal will continue 
to cool until it can not be used. The contact points should be 
cleaned about once each two weeks. 

The hole in the hollow tube connecting the bulb and the 
flattened coil spring of the dynamic thermometer is very 
small and care must be taken that the tube is not injured 
when feeding metal to the pot, or that no sharp bends are 
made in it, as it will close the hole and interfere with the 
proper working of the thermometer. 

Occasionally some of the parts such as the heaters, ther¬ 
mometer, or the wiring inside the pot may become damaged 
and will have to be replaced. In ordering the new parts for 
replacements, be sure to specify the voltage being used and 
the serial number of the pot. This number plate can be 
found on top of the pot cover. 

It is seldom that both crucible heaters will be burned 
out at the same time, so if your pot is a 100 to 125-volt equip¬ 
ment, and one of the crucible heaters tests open or grounded, 
and must be removed and replaced, the metal in the crucible 
may be heated by the crucible heater that is in good condi¬ 
tion ; but if your pot is 200 to 250-volt equipment, and one 
of the crucible heaters must be replaced, it will be necessary 
to melt the metal in the crucible with a blow torch before 
either crucible heater can be removed. It is not necessary 
to remove the metal from the pot. Merely keep the metal 
agitated while melting it with the blow torch. 

Frequently a heating unit is burned out by a little metal 
splashing on the terminals, causing a gradual short circuit. 
This trouble can be eliminated by wrapping the heater 
terminals with asbestos tape. 


66 


When cleaning the contact points on the dynamic ther¬ 
mometer, it is necessary to remove the cover by taking out 
the two long flat head screws. This cover should be exam¬ 
ined for small particles of metal before replacing. 

To remove and replace a damaged wire in the pot, fasten 
another wire securely to one end of it, grasp the other end 
with a pair of pliers and pull. The new wire will be pulled 
in as the old one is removed. 

Rubber covered wire or slow burning wire is not satis¬ 
factory. A special wire with a special grade of insulation 
should be used. 

If it becomes necessary to remove the dynamic ther¬ 
mometer, heat the metal in the crucible to operating tem¬ 
perature and then turn the main switch off. Disconnect the 
thermometer wiring and dip out the metal to below the level 
of the thermometer bulb. Take off the pot cover and remove 
the two screws fastening the thermometer case to the 
bracket. Grasp the case with the hand and the bulb with a 
pair of pliers and raise up and out. Be very careful at all 
times not to damage or break the bulb or hollow wire which 
contain the mercury; to do so will cause trouble in regulat¬ 
ing the heat. 

Replace the thermometer while the crucible is hot. 
See that the bulb does not project out from the casting 
so as to interfere with the insertion of ingots of cold metal. 
Press the tube firmly but carefully into place over the edge 
of the crucible, being careful not to injure it. Fasten the 
case to the bracket and reconnect the wiring and put on the 
cover. 

All the pot adjustments on the electric pot are the same 
as on a gas pot. 


Current Consumption 

The maximum current consumption is 1,500 watts and 
the minimum 325 watts, the average consumption through¬ 
out a day’s work is approximately 600 watts or .6 kilo¬ 
watts. The cost of current varies widely in different 
localities, but you may find the cost of operating your pot 
by multiplying the number of hours by the cost of current 
per kilowatt hour and then by .6. The result will be the 


67 


cost in cents. For instance, operating a pot nine hours with 
current costing six cents per kilowatt hour would cost 
thirty-two and four-tenths cents — 9 x 6 x .6 equals 32.4 
cents. 

Fuses 

The main line fuses, which protect the entire system 
from overloads, when blown, should be replaced by other 
fuses of the same rating. 

The fuse for the mouth and throat heater, circuit is for 
the purpose of protecting this circuit from accidents, and 
should always be replaced by another fuse of the same 
rating. This replacing of the fuses by others of the same 
rating is very important. On a 200 to 250-volt circuit, the 
main line fuses should be 10 amperes. The mouth and throat 
fuse, which is located in the control box above the magnetic 
switch, should be 3 amperes. On a 100 to 125-volt circuit the 
main line fuses should be 20 amperes. The throat and mouth 
fuse should be 5 amperes. Fuses of a greater amperage than 
those mentioned may cause the units to burn out or cause 
a fire hazard. 


MOLDS 

The various models of machines placed on the market 
today have a flexibility that requires a varitey of molds 
to take care of the varying lengths and thicknesses of slugs. 
The molds are adjustable and are all removable from the 
mold disk should the occasion require. The molds are all 
constructed along the same general line, with a base and 
movable cap. The caps in all molds are held in place by two 
guides, pinned on each end of the base of the mold, and pro¬ 
jecting into grooves in the cap. 

The base of the mold is screwed firmly to the disk, and 
the two liners are held in place by the cap and the pressure 
from three screws which project through the rim of the 
mold disk. The cap and base being held parallel by the 
guides. 

To change the mold from one size of body or length of 
slug it is only necessary to loosen the three screws, remove 
the liners and insert the ones desired. Do not pry the cap 


68 


upward with a screwdriver inserted in the casting range 
of the mold cell. When tightening the screws in the rim 
of the disk, bring them just to a firm bearing. There is 
danger of cracking the rim if the screws are too tight. 

The Universal Adjustable 

The universal adjustable mold is the one most generally 
used. By removing the liners and substituting others, slugs 
of any length from 5 to 30 picas and from 5 to 14 points in 
body may be cast. All standard molds will cast 30-pica 
slugs. 

The right-hand, or constant liner, is marked for thick¬ 
ness only. It is not necessary to change this liner unless the 
slug thickness is changed. 

The left-hand liner is marked for thickness and length. 
The number stamped for the length, subtracted from 30, 
gives the length of slug which will be cast. For example, 
if a 13-em slug is wanted, use liner number 17, which allows 
the opening in the mold to be the required length. When 
ordering liners for these molds, always specify thickness 
and length of slug to be cast; also specify U. A. mold. 

The Recessed 

In order to cast light-weight slugs and for quick cool¬ 
ing, the recessed mold is made. This mold will cast slugs 
with cavities, or recesses. The base of this mold is the 
same as the universal adjustable. The lower surface of the 
cap has rectangular projections and grooves. The molten 
metal is forced into these grooves and forms the supporting 
ribs beneath the type face. The rectangles form the reces¬ 
ses. The weight of the slug is reduced about one-third. A 
more solid slug is formed because there is less air to be dis¬ 
placed from the mold. There is less metal in the mold cell, 
therefore it cools more rapidly than the regular universal 
adjustable. These molds require special left-hand liners and 
are adjustable for body size from 10- to 14-point and all 
measures from 8 to 30 picas, except the half-em measures. 
For these restricted measures a special mold is required and 
will only be made on special order. In ordering liners for a 
recessed mold you must be careful to specify “recessed 


69 


mold” and the length in ems required. These molds can be 
applied to any model of machine, but must never be used 
for any size below 10-point. 

Display and Headletter 

The special display and headletter mold is similar to a 
recessed mold, but to accommodate the increased size of 
faces, the recesses are deeper. This mold has practically the 
same restrictions as to length of slug as the recessed mold. 
One-letter matrices with the character for raised position 
must be used on this mold. The filling piece under the first 
elevator jaws must be used when using the mold. Matrices 
can not be sent in on the duplex rails of the assembling 
elevator. 

Each display mold has a body range of 5 points only, so 
the entire range of bodies from 15 to 36 points would 
require four of these molds as follows: The range of one 
is 15 to 19 points, that is, any width of liner from 15 to 19 
points can be used on this mold; the range of the second 
would be 20 to 24 points, the third would be 26 to 30 points, 
the fourth, 32 to 36 points. The range of the molds are 
always marked on the cap so no mistake can be made. 

In ordering liners for the display and headletter molds, 
care must be taken to specify the range marked on the cap. 

These molds are limited as to length of measure the 
same as the recessed molds. 

Advertising 

The advertising figure mold differs from the universal 
adjustable only in the mold cap. The cap is construsted with 
an extra thick lip against which the overhang in the mat¬ 
rices are cast. This permits of casting large characters, 
which will lap over one or more adjacent slugs. The groves 
in the cap are ground parallel. With this mold slugs from 
5- to 12-point can be cast, but not above 12-point at any 
time. This mold can also be used for casting headletter 
type, by letting the letter overhang the slug. Place a blank 
slug underneath the overhanging letters to support them. 

When using the advertising figure equipment, display 
figures or characters can be cast at any desired point in the 


70 


line of text matter, the characters or figures casting on the 
first slug against the lip of the mold, thus overhanging 
one or more other slugs when assembled. 

In determining how large a figure may be cast on any 
size of slug from 5- to 12-point, bear in mind that not over 
eleven points of the figure may be cast against the lip of the 
mold cap. 

Carbolite 

There is an adjustable mold used on some machines 
which is made of carbolite steel. This mold is harder than 
the regular U. A. mold and will not warp easily. However, 
it heats up quicker, retains the heat longer and will not 
work very satisfactorily for large slugs or where a large 
amount of metal is used. The regular U. A. liners are used 
on this mold. 

36-em Adjustable 

The universal adjustable molds for 36-em machines will 
cast any measure from 30- to 36-ems inclusive, from 5- to 
14-point body. If a measure shorter than 30 ems is desired 
a regular 30-em mold must be used. 

In order to change liners on a 36-em mold it is neces¬ 
sary to take the mold from the mold disk, as the liners fit 
around three sides of the post, and can not be changed in 
the regular way. 

It is possible to remove the 36-em mold from the disk 
and substitute a 30-em mold. A filling piece is required to 
take up the difference between the 30-em and the 36-em 
mold. 

Mold Wipers 

There are two felt wipers which are designed to keep the 
face and back of the mold clean. A small amount of a mix¬ 
ture of cup grease and graphite rubbed into the back wiper 
will keep the base of the mold clean. For the front mold 
wiper, keep the felt well saturated with graphite. Do not use 
oil or grease on the front wiper, or it will be transferred 
onto the matrices and into the magazine. A good plan is to 
soak the felt with gasoline and rub the graphite in. When 
the felt becomes worn, new ones should be applied. When 
applying new felt, put graphite between the layers. Be care- 


71 


ful that the felt does not become worn to the extent that 
the steel part of the wipers will be allowed to rub against 
the mold. 

Mold Hints 

If the mold cap guides become bent they will throw the 
mold cap out of alignment with the constant side of the mold. 
The guides can be straightened by removing the mold from 
the disk. Place a straight-edge across the mold and cap to 
determine how the guides are bent. They may be tapped 
with a hammer and a piece of brass rule to spring them back 
in position. Care should be used in this operation and if 
bent very much, the mold should be shipped to the nearest 
agency for repairs. A mold with bent guides or a warped 
cap will cause back squirts and to remedy these, the mold 
must be repaired. Mold cap guides can be renewed by driv¬ 
ing out the small pin that holds them in place in the base 
of the mold and fitting in new ones. 

If a mold has become warped by overheating, it can 
be shipped to the nearest agency to be ground. If the mold 
is ground on the back, the slug will be less than type high, 
according to the amount taken off in the grinding. The liners 
must be ground as well as the mold. Always be very care¬ 
ful of the mold so this will not be necessary. 

The bottom of the mold sometimes becomes tinned. This 
will not permit the mold and mouthpiece to lock up properly. 
The trouble can be remedied by removing the mold from the 
disk and placing it on the bench. Put a small amount of 
metal polish on a block of hard wood. Rub the wood back 
and forth the entire length of the bottom of the mold, with 
an even pressure. As the metal polish contains an abrasive, 
the mold, cap, and liners should be kept together, so that 
the casting edge of the mold will not be rounded. Be care¬ 
ful of the molds as they are one of the most important 
parts of the machine and will run indefinitely if handled 
intelligently. 

Take the mold apart and clean the base and the cap with 
the polish. Place each part in a vise so it will be held solid 
while cleaning. After using the polish, clean with gasoline. 

When metal gets into a mold cap screw in the disk after 
a squirt, do not hammer the metal with a screwdriver. To do 


72 


so merely drives the metal tighter in the threads of the hole. 
Gouge the metal out with a knife a little at a time. 

Do not remove the mold keeper from the mold. The mold 
keeper is for the purpose of holding the lugs of the matrices 
in alignment. If it is removed and not replaced properly, 
it will interfere with the proper alignment of every line set. 

Keep the face of the mold clean and free from metal 
which has a tendency to accumulate during the day while the 
mold is being used. A clean face of the mold will greatly 
facilitate the press make-ready. Metal on the mold causes 
high and low letters on the slug. 

REMOVING AND REPLACING MOLD 

To remove a mold from the disk, loosen the three screws 
in the rim of the disk, take out the four screws which hold 
the mold to the disk and lift the mold out of the pocket, 
being very careful not to drop it. 

In replacing a mold in the disk, be sure that all seating 
surfaces of the mold and disk are clean and free of all 
metal, so the mold will align with the trimming knives and 
mold knife. Then bring the four front screws to a light 
bearing. Next tighten the three cap screws in the disk, the 
center one first. Then tighten the four front screws tight. 

DISTRIBUTOR 
Distributor Bar 

The distributor bar is suspended between the distributor 
screws, and is fastened to the distributor beam by two ma¬ 
chine screws, and held rigid by dowel pins. 

There are seven combination rails along the bar. These 
combination rails are cut away in various places, and cer¬ 
tain of the rails or combinations terminate directly above 
each channel in the magazine entrance. The V-shaped end of 
the matrices have combinations or distributing teeth which 
engage these rails. The bar is adjusted to proper height and 
position so that the matrices, leaving the top rails of the 
distributor box, do not bind on the aligning plate at the 
back of the bar above the rails. These adjusting screws are 
in the top of the distributor beam and rest on the yoke. On 
the later machines the side-wise adjustment is made by an 


73 


adjusting screw fastened to the beam and banking against 
the right side of the yoke. 

Each matrix has a combination corresponding to the 
combination cut on the bar. The matrix is conveyed along 
the bar by the distributor screws. As soon as the matrix 
reaches the end of the rail corresponding to the combina¬ 
tion on the matrix, it drops into the channel, which guides 
it into the magazine. 

Channel Entrance 

The channel entrance is connected to the rear end of the 
magazine on the magazine frame by two hinge screws. The 
entrance is held in position by a spring at the right side and 
fastened to the magazine frame. 

The channel entrance consists of a number of flexible 
partitions, which are assembled in the channel entrance par¬ 
tition plate, and act as a guide for the matrices as they fall 
from the distributor bar into the magazine. 

Each partition rests against the side of a tooth in the 
automatic stopping bar. If matrices become clogged in the 
entrance guides, they pile up until they come in contact with 
the distributor screws. This forces the partitions against 
the teeth of the automatic stopping bar which causes the 
distributor driving mechanism to stop. 

At the bottom of the channel entrance, on each side, and 
banking against the magazine frame, are two adjusting 
screws which are used to adjust the position of the channel 
entrance. The adjustment is made to give the matrix free 
movement in transferring from the channel entrance to the 
magazine under the channel entrance matrix guard. 

The upper end of the partitions sometimes get bent to 
one side and thin matrices will fall into the wrong channel, 
causing the channel to clog. The lower end of the partitions 
should set so they will guide the matrices into the magazine. 
If they are sprung to either side they will hold the matrices 
and keep them from entering the magazine, causing the 
matrices to clog in the channel. 

As the matrices are carried along the distributor bar by 
the screws, there should be % 6 of an inch between the bot¬ 
tom of a matrix suspended on the distributor bar and the 


74 


top of the channel entrance partitions. Adjust, on models 
1, 2, and 3, by the two screws in the magazine frame which 
rest against the magazine supporting rods. Care must be 
used in turning these screws, as they move the magazine 
also. 

On Model 5 or later machines, this adjustment is set at 
the factory, so it is rarely necessary to change it. 

Distributor Screws 

The conveyor screws are assembled on the distributor 
beam. Two of these screws are in front of distributor bar 
and one in the back. As soon as the matrix leaves the dis¬ 
tributor box it is conveyed along the bar. 

On the right-hand end of the screws are the driving 
gears which are pinned to the screw shaft. These gears 
are properly timed at the factory so as to carry the matrix 
in a vertical position without bending. 

There is a small pin projecting between two of the teeth 
of one gear which must mesh with a tooth of its companion 
gear which is partly cut away. This prevents the gears turn¬ 
ing when they are improperly timed. 

This timing is readily accomplished by forming a small 
triangle with the pins in the end of the gears and the open¬ 
ings in the gears, or by placing the points of the upper and 
lower screws on the right end in the same relative posi¬ 
tion before connecting the gears with the distributor clutch 
shaft and gear. 

Do not raise the back distributor screw while there are 
matrices on the bar, as it is difficult to get their lugs in the 
right threads again. 

In closing the back screw see that the pin in the gear 
matches with the short tooth in the front gear. 

The old distributor screws were pitched four threads to 
the inch. The new distributor screws have a much wider 
pitch, two threads to the inch, consequently the matrices are 
moved along the bar twice as fast to their respective chan¬ 
nels. They are called “two-pitch screws.” 

The two-pitch screws keep the matrices widely sepa¬ 
rated on the bar, permitting a freer distribution of large 
matrices. 


75 


Distributor Screw Guard 

The distributor screw guard is suspended between the 
front conveyor screws and fits over the lower screw. This 
guard is for the purpose of deflecting the matrix away 
from the lower screw as it drops from the combination bar. 

On models 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, and 19, this guard is fastened 
by two nuts to the two machine screws projecting through 
the front side of the combination bar. 

On models 8, 14, and 14-s-k this guard is loose, working 
on a fulcrum rod, and operated by the distributor screw 
guard lever and the right-hand locating bar. The lever is 
fastened to the right-hand magazine frame guide by a 
fulcrum screw. Whenever the locating levers are shifted for 
the purpose of raising or lowering the magazine frames, 
a screw on the right-hand locating lever moves against the 
guard lever and forces the guard upward. If there are any 
matrices on the combination bar when attempting to change 
the position of the magazines, this guard will strike them, 
and prevent the guard from making the full upward stroke. 
Retarding the bar prevents the locating levers and blocks 
from moving far enough to clear the bar stops, thus not per¬ 
mitting the magazine frame to be moved. 

If the magazine frames were changed with matrices on 
the bar, these matrices would drop in the magazine that 
was in operating position, causing wrong fonts in the 
magazine. 

Distributor Clutch 

The distributor screws are driven by a friction plate, 
keyed to the distributor clutch shaft, and held against the 
face of the distributor driving pulley by a spring inside of 
the distributor clutch flange. This allows the clutch to slip 
when anything binds the distributor screws. 

The clutch shaft, operated by the friction plate, drives 
the distributor screws by means of small gears which are 
timed so that the matrices will hang perpendicular from 
the distributor bar. 

To remove the distributor clutch, loosen the small screw 
on the distributor clutch lever, and remove the clutch rod, 
spring, and lever. Remove the hexagon head machine screw 


76 


that holds the clutch bracket to the distributor beam. In¬ 
sert a screw driver between the bracket and the beam at the 
upper end and pry the bracket away from the beam. 
Lift the bracket off over the end of the shaft. Remove the 
screw in the washer on the end of the clutch shaft. Take 
out the spring which is behind the washer. The friction 
plate and pulley can then be removed over the end of the 
shaft. 

The friction plate should be kept free from oil at all 
times. There is an oil hole in the flange of the pulley which 
should not be overlooked when oiling. This hole should be 
kept stopped with a counter sunk screw to prevent the oil 
working out on the drive belt. 

Distributor Stopping Mechanism 

The stopping bar is on the magazine channel entrance, 
and is operated by the partitions and a spring hooked on the 
stopping bar and the frame of the channel entrance. 

The right side of the small teeth on the stopping bar 
should touch each partition (which is flexible). When a 
matrix fails to enter the magazine, the channel becomes 
clogged. This causes the matrices to bind on the distributor 
screws which moves the partition to the right, throwing the 
stopping bar from the clutch plate. This allows- the clutch 
lever screw to catch the clutch flange collar, force the 
friction plate away from the driving pulley, and stop the 
distributor. 

The clutch plate is held by two screws to the distributor 
clutch lever. 

The stopping bar should rest %2 of an i nc h on clutch 
plate. Adjust by loosening the screws which hold the plate. 
The holes in the plate are elongated, to permit the plate 
being moved sidewise. 

When adjusting be sure that the partitions are straight 
and touching the teeth of the stopping bar on the right side. 
If not, when straightening, they would cause the stopping 
bar to rest on the clutch plate more than it should. This 
would prevent the clutch lever and screw going into action 
instantly, which would cause thin matrices to bend if caught. 


77 


THE SPIRAL AUTOMATIC 

The new style distributor screw driving mechanism is 
termed the spiral automatic. 

The spiral automatic does away with the channel en¬ 
trance stopping bar and flexible entrance partitions. The 
channel entrances of the new style are equipped with fixed 
partitions which can not become bent, damaged or twisted 
out of adjustment by the action of the distributing mecha¬ 
nism. Some of the features are: The channel entrance par¬ 
titions are thinner, allowing large matrices to pass freely 
through the channels. The partitions are more rigid, al¬ 
though thinner, because they are fixed and supported their 
entire length. The entrance once set, does not have to be 
readjusted for different sizes of matrices. 

The partitions have guides at their lower end, which are 
arranged to direct the various matrices into their respective 
channels by having contact with the lugs instead of the 
body of the matrix, giving the minimum amount of friction. 

Two rotary wedges are pinned to the right end of the 
two front distributor screw shafts. These wedges are placed 
so the thin edge of one wedge is opposite the thick edge of 
the other. These wedges rotate with the screws. 

The small timing gear on the lower front distributor 
screw is loose on the shaft. A connection between the screw 
and the gear is made by two parallel pins, one on the gear 
and the other on the wedge. These pins are held together by 
a spiral spring. The tension of the spring should be so the 
slightest drag on the lower screw would allow the pins to 
separate. 

When anything binds or retards the revolution of the 
lower screw, the two parallel pins separate, which changes 
the relation of the wedges, causing them to lock. This lock¬ 
ing of the wedges stops the distributor screws and releases 
the tension of the clutch flange on the distributor washer 
clutch flange permitting the driving pulley to run free. 

Assembled on the distributor clutch pulley washer clutch 
flange are two distributor clutch stops. These are called 
left-hand stops. Fastened to the distributor clutch flange 
are two distributor clutch stops. These are called right-hand 
stops. 


78 


When the distributor is operating, the right-hand stops 
are held on the left-hand stops by two spiral springs. One 
end of each spring is fastened to an adjustable spring col¬ 
lar that slips over the distributor clutch flange; the other 
ends are fastened to the pulley washer clutch flange. These 
stops force the pulley washer flange against the driving 
pulley, operating the distributor. 

The tension of these spiral springs should be just tight 
enough to hold the stops together. When the spiral locks, 
the tension of the spring should permit the right stops to 
leave the left, releasing the pressure on the driving pulley. 

The tension of these springs can be adjusted by releas¬ 
ing the clamping screw in the spring collar and turning 
the collar. 

Remember that anything binding the lower screw will 
prevent the distributor from operating. 

A matrix not lifting properly, a dry distributor shaft 
bearing, or the front rails of the distributor box bearing 
against the lower screw will cause the screw to drag and 
stop. 

If the spiral spring that holds the two pins together is 
too strong, matrix ears or lugs will be bent. The spring, 
when at its proper tension, should not bind the ears or lugs 
of the matrices when they drag the lower screw. 

When having trouble with the spiral automatic, do not 
change the spring tension unless you are sure that it is neces¬ 
sary to do so. 

The tension of the two springs, which hold the stops on 
the clutch flange and washer flange, should be just strong 
enough to keep the stops together. Too much spring tension 
will have a tendency to bend matrices or prevent the proper 
working of the spiral. 

To remove the distributor clutch flange and washer 
clutch flange on a machine with the spiral automatic: Loosen 
the small screw on the distributor clutch lever, and remove 
the clutch rod and lever. Remove the two headless screws in 
the knurled lever flange on the end of the clutch flange shaft. 
Remove the hexagon head machine screw that holds the 
clutch bracket to the distributor beam. Insert a screwdriver 
between the bracket and the beam at the upper end and pry 


79 


the bracket away from the beam. Lift the bracket off over 
the end of the shaft. Remove the flat headed screw in the 
washer on the end of the clutch flange shaft. Take out the 
spring which is behind the washer. Take off the clutch flange 
shaft, stops and springs, assembled. Unscrew the clutch 
pulley washer flange stop screw. The clutch pulley washer 
flange can now be removed. 

DISTRIBUTOR BOX 

After the line has been transferred from the first elevator 
jaws to the second elevator bar it is carried by the second 
elevator lever to the distributor box. The distributor box 
contains the upper and lower rails, tilting rails, matrix lift, 
font distinguisher, box bar and point assembled, safety 
spring, lift cam lever, lift lever, lift hinge pin, lift lever 
spring, lift spring, lift cam roll, and matrix lift adjusting 
screw. 

When the matrices are transferred from the second ele¬ 
vator bar to the box bar they are supported at their lower 
end, by the tilting rails. These rails release the strain on 
the matrix combination, and also prevent matrices falling 
from the bar if there is any space between the two bars. 

To assure a good alignment of the two bars, the box 
bar pin hole at the left is elongated, allowing play to the bar, 
which permits the teeth of the second elevator bar to align 
easily with the box bar. 

Matrices, coming into the box, hang to the rails on the 
box bar by their teeth until they reach the vertical face of 
the box rails. There are two upper and two lower rails held 
to the box plates (front and back) by dowel pins and screws, 
so that the matrix will align perfectly with all four rails 
and the bar point at the right end of the box. 

The rails must align the matrix to clear the distributor 
screws and the aligning plate on the combination bar with¬ 
out binding. The matrix must also pass between the vertical 
face of the rails and the bar point. If these rails become 
worn, they will permit more than one thin matrix to pass 
the bar point, or will not lift the matrix so it will clear the 
screws properly, because of the unevenness of the vertical 


80 


face of the rails. This will bend the ears of the matrix and 
stop the distributor. 

The only remedy for worn rails is to apply new ones. 
Four new rails must be applied, as the vertical faces of 
all the four rails wear, and this is the only method of ob¬ 
taining the proper alignment again. 

A safety spring is pinned in a grooved part of the upper 
front rail at the right end to prevent matrices turning and 
getting caught by the lift when the shifter is suddenly 
withdrawn. It is only the matrix ready to be lifted that 
need be held by the spring. 

As the matrices are lifted by the matrix lift they must 
pass between the vertical face on the rails and the bar point. 
All matrices are the same thickness where they pass this 
point. There is just sufficient space between the rails and 
the bar point for but one thin matrix to pass when lifted 
by the matrix lift. If the bar point becomes worn or broken 
it will permit more than one thin matrix to be lifted to the 
distributor screws, resulting in the clogging of the channel 
entrance or bending the matrix. 

When the bar point becomes worn a new one should be 
applied. A new bar point can be applied by removing the 
bar, and, with a small nail set, driving out the two pins that 
hold the bar point. Put the new point in its proper posi¬ 
tion, place the bar in the box, and test with a thin matrix 
by raising the lift. The matrix should pass the point with¬ 
out binding. When the point is set properly, remove the bar 
from the box and drill two holes for the pins. Sometimes 
the bar point can be drawn out a little by peaning it with a 
small machinist hammer. However, extreme care must be 
used, so the bar rails will not be damaged by the hammer. 
Just a few light taps of the hammer should be sufficient. 

The font distinguisher is placed in the lower right end of 
the box, between the two lower rails. All the matrices must 
pass this distinguisher. When properly adjusted, it will stop 
all matrices of a different font size to the one being used, or 
one of the same font turned backwards. To change font 
distinguisher, turn the stud one complete turn for each size. 
Turn the stud to the left for a smaller size and to the 
right for a larger size. 


81 


On the multiple magazine machines the font distin- 
guisher is automatically changed when changing the position 
of the magazines. 

Matrices must never be driven over the point of the dis- 
tinguisher when they stop in the box, but should be pushed 
to the second elevator bar and the wrong font or the turned 
matrix removed. Driving a matrix over the font distin- 
guisher not only damages the matrix, but it also often breaks 
the font distinguisher and causes serious damage to the box 
by throwing the various parts out of their proper alignment. 
When this happens it is almost impossible to get the box 
back into proper shape. 

The matrix lift mechanism is composed of the matrix 
lift lever, the matrix lift cam lever, matrix lift spring, 
matrix lift cushion spring, matrix lift hinge pin, matrix lift 
cam roll, and the matrix lift. 

This matrix lift is at the right end of the box and is 
held to the lift lever by a fulcrum screw and forced against 
the font distinguisher block by a small coil spring. The 
lift should set so the back of the shoulder aligns with the 
vertical face of the rails. If by any accident it is forced 
out of alignment to the left, the lift cannot engage the 
bottom of the matrices and lift them over the vertical face 
of the rails. 

The shoulder and seat of the lift should be kept free 
from gum or dirt so the matrices will not slip off while being 
raised. When the shoulder and seat of the lift wear so that 
it will lift two thin matrices or lift them crooked, the lift 
must be replaced by a new one. 

The cam lever and lift lever are connected by a cushion 
spring which absorbs the movement of the cam lever, if the 
lever hangs up. There is an adjusting screw in the matrix 
lift lever which permits the lift lever to be raised or lowered. 

The matrix lift must raise the lugs of the matrices clear 
of the vertical face of the box rails. If it does not do this, 
thin matrices, when being moved by the distributor screws, 
would be forced against the screws and become damaged. 
To adjust the lift, turn the distributor screws by hand until 
the cam roller is at the low part of the cam, place a thin 
matrix in the distributor box against the vertical face of the 


82 


rails, then adjust screw until the shoulder of the lift is not 
more than y 64 of an inch under the bottom of the matrix. 
The lift then should raise the matrix % 2 of an inch above 
the top rails in the distributor box when the cam roller is 
at the highest part of the cam. After adjusting the lift, 
be sure that the adjusting screw locknut is tight. 

The buffer of the distributor shifter should come in the 
box almost to the distributor lift, but should never come 
in far enough to engage the lift. The distance the shifter 
can travel into the box is regulated by a stop screw which 
sets in the shifter slideway. However, this screw sometimes 
gets broken off, comes out, or is worn off. This would allow 
the shifter buffer to engage the lift and cause undue wear. 

Lower Distributor Box 
For Models 2 and 4 

On the upper distributor of a Model 2 or 4 the matrices 
are raised over the rails by the matrix lift, the same as on 
any other model. The upper portion of the inclined rails, 
however, are cut away. There is a bridge on the upper dis¬ 
tributor box on which the matrices for the upper magazine 
ride until they catch on the distributor bar. The matrices 
for the lower magazines have a slot in the bottom so that 
they will not ride on the bridge. They fall from the upper 
box, through a chute, into the lower box, where they are 
separated and delivered to the lower distributor rail. 

Care should be taken to see that the box escapements (or 
matrix lift) work freely at all times. If dirt is allowed to 
accumulate, the escapements will not work freely; the mat¬ 
rices will be prevented from separating and cause them to 
clog in the box. 

To adjust the escapement pawls (or matrix lift) in a 
lower box, turn the screws until the matrix lift lever cam 
roll rides in the lower part of the cam. Adjust with the 
adjusting screw until the point of the male pawl clears the 
bottom of the slot in the matrix about % 4 of an inch. See 
that the male pawl does not become bent; this point should 
admit a thin matrix only between both pawls. The female 
pawl must have a retaining hold on the matrix of at least % 2 

83 


of an inch when the male pawl is adjusted to clear the bot¬ 
tom of the slot. 

Distributor Box Matrix Lift Cam 

This cam is fastened to the distributor back screw by 
means of a taper pin. There is no adjustment of the cam. 
It should not be detached unless badly worn, and then it 
should be replaced by a new one. 

To apply a new cam: Drive out taper pin and slip cam off 
the shaft, placing a new one on the shaft in such a position 
that the holes in the cam will match with the hole in the 
shaft. Use an 8 x 32 headless screw to hold the cam in posi¬ 
tion. Put a thick matrix with a full size lug in the box in the 
regular way. See that the lift is adjusted to raise the ma¬ 
trix % 2 of an inch above the upper rails. Then turn the 
distributor screws by hand, and when the matrix starts to 
raise and enter the screws, the side of the matrix opposite 
the distributor shifter should clear the threads on the dis¬ 
tributor screws y 32 of an inch. If the matrix does not clear 
the threads y 32 of an inch, loosen the smalt screw in the cam, 
turn the cam so that when the matrix lift starts to raise the 
matrix it will clear the threads properly. Fasten the cam 
securely with the screw, and then run through a few lines to 
make sure that the cam is set right. Then drill a hole in the 
shaft and fasten with a pin. 

Before applying a new matrix lift cam, make sure that 
the upper and lower rails in the box are not worn; if worn, 
renew the rails before applying the new cam. It is seldom 
necessary to replace a lift cam, due to the small amount 
of wear the cam undergoes. 

Distributor Troubles 

Considerable annoyance and lost time is causd by dis¬ 
tributor troubles. Some of the most frequent troubles may 
be traced to the following: 

The lifting of two thin matrices to the distributor is 
caused by having too much space between the end of the 
bar point and the vertical face of the rails, due to worn 
rails or bar point, or both. 

Bent matrices are caused by the rails being worn, worn 
bar point, matrix lift out of adjustment, worn lift cam, 


84 


safety spring broken or not functioning, conveyer screws 
out of time. 

Matrices may drop in the wrong channel of the maga¬ 
zine if the flexible guides become bent. If the lugs of the 
matrices are thicker than those regularly running in that 
channel, the matrices will clog in the entrance and stop the 
distributor. 

The back conveyer screw, being set too far from the front 
screws, will cause the matrices to fall in the wrong channel 
or twist as they leave the distributor box rails. Adjust 
the screw with the two adjusting screws at each end of the 
conveyer screw bearing. 

A floor that is uneven or shaky will cause the matrices to 
drop in the wrong channel. 

Matrices will drop on top of the partitions or in the wrong 
channel if the distributor beam is out of adjustment. Ad¬ 
just with the screw that is fastened to the beam at the front 
and banks against the right side of the yoke. 

Matrices with damaged or worn distributing teeth or 
combinations will drop in the wrong channel. 

The matrix combinations, a very important part of the 
matrix, is sufficient under ordinary conditions to last for 
years. It is possible, however, to ruin a set of combinations 
in a very short time. The causes are almost always due to 
bad alignment at one or possibly all of the various transfers. 
The matrices are transferred at three distinct points, where 
the combinations are involved. 

The first transfer is from the first elevator jaws onto 
the second elevator bar at the intermediate transfer channel. 
The line of matrices, when in position at this transfer point, 
should line up with the bar so they will have a perfect 
transfer to the bar without binding. Use the set screw 
at the bottom of the first elevator slide on the right hand 
side to raise or lower the slide for the proper alignment. 
This alignment should be as nearly perfect as possible. If 
the second elevator bracket and bar do not seat properly 
on the intermediate channel rails, or if these rails are out 
of true or worn, the trouble should be remedied so the bar 
will align properly for the transfer. The bar should be 
perfectly smooth and free from burrs, and should be held 


85 


tight against the bracket plate by the two flat head screws 
that extend through the plate. 

The second transfer is from the second elevator bar to 
the distributor box bar. The second elevator, when in its 
normal position, should be adjusted so the second elevator 
bar will line up with the distributor box bar. The distrib¬ 
utor box bar should be perfectly smooth and free from 
burrs. 

The third transfer is from the distributor box rails to 
the combination bar. The distributor box rails should be 
perfectly square with each other. The matrices should 
transfer freely from the distributor box rails to the com¬ 
bination rails on the bar. There must be perfect alignment 
at all of these points of transfer, or undue wear on the 
matrix combinations will result. 

Matrices with damaged combination teeth, or with small 
burrs on the teeth, will not drop squarely between the 
flexible guides or will wobble as they leave the bar, and 
cause distributor stops. This trouble can usually be reme¬ 
died by dressing the burrs off the teeth with a fine file. 
Be very careful not to dress the teeth below the plane of the 
surface of the matrices. Also make sure that there are 
no burrs on the combinations where the teeth are supposed 
to be cut away. 

The distributor screws must be kept clean and free from 
oil at all times, or the dirt and oil will be transferred onto 
the matrices and into the magazine. 

Battered ears or lugs on the matrices will cause distrib¬ 
utor stops. The ears of the offending matrices should be 
examined, and if it is found they are battered out of shape 
or increased in thickness, they should be carefully dressed 
down with a very fine file or a matrix file gauge to their 
original thickness. Care should be taken to see that the 
edges or sides of the matrix bodies are not altered. When 
the ears of the matrices become bent they can be straight¬ 
ened by laying the bent matrix on a perfectly flat surface 
and with a pair of smooth jawed pliers straighten the 
matrix so it will lie flat on the surface without rocking. 
If it becomes necessary to straighten a matrix with a 
hammer care should be used to use a very light one. The 


86 


shape of the matrix can be changed very easily when 
pounded, and the matrix can not align properly with the 
other matrices. 

To Remove a Distributor Box 

Back the machine until the second elevator descends 
from its seat. Pull down on the magazine channel entrance. 
(If the box is equipped with the automatic font distin¬ 
guishes press in on the stud until the distinguisher is 
resting against the lower front rail of the box and turn 
the stud to right a quarter of a turn.) Press downward 
on the handle of the screw which holds the box in position 
and unscrew until it stops. Pull downward on the box. 

Care must be used in replacing the box to seat as high 
as it will go and have the washer on the screw so that it 
clamps the box bracket to the distributor beam. Turn 
upward on the handle of the screw. 

The new distributor box bracket is provided with pins 
that fit in a groove in the distributor beam to prevent the 
box being placed in any other than the correct position. 

FIRST ELEVATOR JAWS AND SLIDE 

The first elevator slide is held in place by four gibs on the 
vise frame so that the jaws will stand parallel with the 
mold. The gibs are also used for adjusting the first elevator 
jaws so they will just clear the delivery and the intermediate 
channels. The slide is operated by cam No. 1, through the 
first elevator and the auxiliary levers and connecting link. 

The first elevator jaws are attached to the top of the first 
elevator slide. They carry the line of matrices to the casting 
position and then to the second elevator. When the matrices 
have entered the first elevator jaws they are in position 
with their face toward the mold. The elevator slide travels 
down to the vise, the mold advances and the lower lugs 
of the matrices enter the groove of the mold, the elevator 
raises for alignment and lifts the line up against the align¬ 
ing groove, or mold keeper, of the mold for casting. 

As the first elevator jaws descend to the vise cap, the 
center screw in the top of the first elevator slide strikes on 


87 


the vise cap and regulates the distance from the lugs of the 
matrices to the aligning groove in the mold when the mold 
slide advances. 

There should be % 4 of an inch space between the bottom 
of the center screw and vise cap when first elevator is lifted 
for alignment. If the center screw is not properly adjusted, 
when the mold advances the lower lugs on the matrices 
would be sheared. An entire font of matrices might be 
ruined in a very short time in this manner. 

To test this adjustment, place a good matrix in the first 
elevator jaws, turn the machine until the adjusting screw 
is resting on the vise cap, disconnect the mold slide and 
bring the mold disk forward so the lug of the matrix enters 
the groove in the mold. Raise the elevator slide with the 
left hand, which raises the lug of the matrix against the 
aligning groove in the mold. At this point there should be 
% 4 of an inch between the end of the center screw and the 
vise cap. If not, turn the screw with the right hand until it is 
resting on the vise cap. Then turn the screw to the left 
until it is approximately % 4 of an inch from the vise cap. 

On the older model machines this adjusting screw is % 
of an inch in diameter and has 16 threads to the inch. By 
turning the screw to the left one-quarter of a revolution, it 
allows the % 4 -inch adjustment. On all new machines the 
adjusting screw is V 2 inch in diameter and has 12 threads 
to the inch. Turning the screw one-fifth of a revolution 
allows the % 4 -inch adjustment. 

As the mold disk moves forward the elevator jaws raise 
for alignment, the lower lugs of the matrices being raised 
against the aligning groove in the mold. The locking stud 
blocks receive the mold disk locking studs so that the mold 
sets parallel with the side of the vise. The elevator should 
be adjusted so that the jaws will be parallel with the mold. 

If the jaws are not parallel with the mold the face align¬ 
ment on the slug will not be straight. 

The method of testing this adjustment is made by set¬ 
ting the vise jaws to 30 picas, placing a good matrix in 
each end of the first elevator jaws. Let the first elevator 
jaws down on the vise cap. Disconnect the mold slide; 
bring the mold slide forward by hand. Be sure it comes over 


88 


the lugs of the matrices without binding, as the matrices 
must be free. To test the alignment, raise the first elevator 
by hand, thus raising the lugs of the matrices up against 
the aligning groove in the mold. If the matrix on the right- 
hand side is found to be tight, and the one on the left-hand 
side is found to be loose, this proves that the first elevator 
jaws are not parallel with the mold. The four gibs act as a 
guide for the elevator slide. If the matrix on the left-hand 
side is loose, the two top gibs should be moved to the right, 
and the two bottom gibs moved to the left. 

In taking down or erecting a machine, do not disturb the 
two gibs on the right-hand side. Leave them for a guide to 
adjust the other two gibs. On machines that have the in¬ 
clined galley it is necessary to remove the right-hand gib to 
remove the galley bracket, but as it is doweled, it is impos¬ 
sible to get it back into the wrong position. 

The elevator jaw must be adjusted so as to clear the in¬ 
termediate and delivery channels without binding. If it is 
too far away, move all four gibs exactly the same distance. 

The first elevator jaws should align with the second ele¬ 
vator bar when the first elevator is at its full up-stroke, 
so that the matrices will pass freely from the first to the 
second elevator. When the first elevator goes to the slide 
guide, the square head adjusting screw on the bottom of the 
slide comes in contact with the vise frame, regulates the 
height to which the elevator raises, the screw holding the 
slide, and the spring in the connecting link being compressed 
to take up the extra movement of the elevator lever. 

Unless the matrices transfer freely from the first ele¬ 
vator jaws to the second elevator bar, the combinations 
would soon become damaged, causing poor distribution. 

Test by transferring a line from the jaws to the bar 
by hand. If the line of matrices moves onto the bar without 
dragging, the adjustment need not be disturbed. 

Whenever it is necessary to make this adjustment, place 
the machine in transfer position, place a matrix that has all 
the combinations, in the first elevator jaws against the 
spring pawls; place a piece of white paper in the spaceband 
box, at the end of the spaceband lever pawl; lay an electric 
light on the transfer channel; close one eye, looking through 


89 


the first elevator from the left end with the other; adjust 
with the screw on the bottom of the first elevator slide, 
at the right side, so the combinations on the matrix align 
with grooves on the second elevator bar. The final test for 
this adjustment, is to transfer the line as above stated. The 
line must transfer without dragging. Use the adjusting 
screw until this is accomplished. 

Before making the adjustment be sure the first eleva¬ 
tor jaws are not loose on the slide, that the left end of the 
second elevator bar is not battered, that the second elevator 
plate is not loose, or worn, that the second elevator is ad¬ 
justed properly, that there is no dirt or gum holding the 
second elevator from seating, that there is no metal on top 
of the adjusting screw, that the screw which holds the first 
elevator slide stop is not loose. See that the transfer slide 
finger is not bent. 

First Elevator Jaws 

The first elevator jaws consist of the front and back 
jaws, the jaw spring pawls, duplex rail, duplex rail levers 
and springs, separating block, and line stop. 

The two jaws are held together by two screws extending 
through the separating block. On the right-hand end of 
the jaws are the spring pawls. The pawl for the back jaw 
is held in a slot by two small screws and projects through 
to the front. The front jaw pawl is grooved and held in 
place by two screws and a plate, and projects through to 
the back. These two pawls retain the matrices after they 
have entered the jaws. Should they break or become in¬ 
operative, the matrices would have a tendency to jump out 
of the jaws just before entering the vise jaws or while going 
to transfer position in the top guide. A broken pawl some¬ 
times will catch the line of matrices and prevent it from 
passing into the jaws. To renew the front pawl, release the 
two small screws that hold the plate and slip the pawl toward 
the right. The back pawl can be changed by taking out the 
two small screws that hold it in position. 

The first elevator front jaw is equipped with a duplex 
rail for the purpose of holding the front lugs of the mat¬ 
rices in a raised position to cast a line of matrices in 


90 


auxiliary position. This rail is held in position by two 
springs which are fastened to the two duplex rail levers. 
The rail is automatically retracted when the elevator rises 
to the slide guide, by the upper ends of the rail levers being 
pressed back by two operating blocks which are assembled 
on the adjusting strip of the slide guide. This backward 
movement of the rail permits the matrices to drop to 
normal position for the transfer. 

If a squirt occurs and the metal gets in around the duplex 
rails or on the first elevator jaws, it will prevent the rail 
from being retracted. This will prevent the elevator slide 
from going high enough for the matrices to be transferred. 
Never remove metal from the jaws with a screwdriver or 
a piece of steel. A piece of brass rule will answer the pur¬ 
pose and will not damage the jaws when driving out the 
metal. 

The duplex rail sometimes become battered or bent 
through the carelessness of the operator in sending in tight 
lines. The rail can be taken out and smoothed up by taking 
the jaws off the slide and removing the plate at the bottom 
of the front jaw. 

The back jaw should be examined frequently for burrs 
or a sprung jaw. If the jaw becomes sprung outward it will 
permit the end matrix to crawl up in the jaws and the 
lugs will be sheared or bent as the mold slide comes forward 
for the lockup. There should be just enough space between 
the jaws for a matrix to pass in without binding, but not 
enough to allow the matrix to be raised past the duplex rail, 
from lower to auxiliary position. If the jaw is bent inward, 
the spaceband can not operate freely. Never pry out on the 
jaws with a screw driver when there is a squirt holding the 
jaws to the disc of the mold cap, for there is a chance of 
bending the back jaw. 

Whenever the jaws are held on the vise cap after a 
squirt, always remove the screws from the back jaws, take 
off the jaw guard on the vise cap and let the vise down. 
This method will prevent springing the jaw because the 
back jaw will hang to the squirt when the vise is let down. 


91 


First Elevator Jaw Line Stop 

The first elevator jaw line stop, which prevents the mat¬ 
rices from twisting or falling out while the line is being 
carried to the vise or the top guide, is found in the first 
elevator jaw, and is held by a clamp, spring, and nut. 

The outer end of the line stop is cut away so as to clear 
the vise jaw, on all models except 1 and K. Always have 
the cut on the under side; if reversed it would strike on the 
vise jaw and not allow the first elevator to descend the full 
distance. 

The inner end of the line stop should set against the 
first matrix on the left end of the line after the line has been 
justified. Do not set the clamp lock-nut tight or it will not 
allow the line stop to move when changing to a longer 
measure. 

FIRST ELEVATOR SLIDE CONNECTING LINK 

The first elevator slide connecting link is the connection 
between the first elevator slide and the first elevator lever, 
and is fastened to the slide by a pin extending through an 
eyebolt and to the first elevator lever by a wing pin extend¬ 
ing through an eyebolt. 

The first elevator jaws should not be more than % 4 of 
an inch lower than the grooves in the delivery channel. 
Make this adjustment by turning the connecting link casing. 

The connecting link is constructed of a casing or tube, 
inside of which is a compression spring. This spring is 
held in place at the bottom by a movable nut inside of the 
lower end of the casing, and by a screw cap at the top of 
the casing. The movable nut has a slot on one side which 
fits over a pin in the casing. This prevents the nut from 
turning except when the casing is turned. The casing also 
has a screw cap on the lower end, through which an eyebolt 
passes. The lower eyebolt screws into the movable nut 
inside the casing, against which the spring rests. At the 
top of the casing is another eyebolt which screws into the 
top screw cap. 

The upper eyebolt is % of an inch from the inner edge 
of the hole to the shoulder of the upper cap, and the lower 


92 


eyebolt 1 % 6 of an inch from the inner edge of the hole to 
the shoulder of the bushing when applied to the machine, 
making 8V2 inches from center to center of the holes in 
the eyebolts. The lower eyebolt is % 6 of an inch longer 
than the upper eyebolt. As the upper eyebolt has a left-hand 
thread and the lower eyebolt a right-hand thread, the lower 
eyebolt still remains y 6 °f an i nc h longer than the upper 
eyebolt, and still retains the same compression on the 
spring when it becomes necessary to turn the connecting 
link a trifle to raise or lower the elevator. 

The alignment of the matrices takes place as the ele¬ 
vator raises the lugs of the matrices up against the align¬ 
ing groove • of the mold. By the lower eyebolt passing 
through the clearance hole in the screw cap when the align¬ 
ment takes place, the lower nut is lifted against the spring 
inside the casing and the spring compresses just enough 
to align the lugs of the matrices in the groove of the mold. 
This holds the line against the mold by spring tension. If 
the connecting link was a solid piece, when the line was 
raised to the mold it would lock so tight that in a short time 
the lugs would be worn, causing a bad alignment of the mat¬ 
rices. The object of the spring inside the casing is to prevent 
this wear. Having the lower eyebolt % 6 of an inch longer 
than the upper, the correct compression of the spring is 
given. The elevator, when it raises from the vise for align¬ 
ment with no matrices, is raised nearly % of an inch. Notice 
the difference with a line of matrices in the elevator. It 
is held at the mold by the lugs of the matrices, the com¬ 
pression spring in the link taking up the extra motion 
of the first elevator lever. 

Auxiliary Lever 

The distance from center to center of the holes should 
measure 8^4 inches when the link has been properly ad¬ 
justed. If the first elevator jaws do not come within y 64 
of an inch of aligning with delivery slide channel after the 
connecting link has been adjusted and applied to the ma¬ 
chine, adjust the slide with the auxiliary lever. This is nec¬ 
essary to compensate for wear on the face of cam No. 1 
and the auxiliary lever roller. By loosening the connecting 


93 


screw in the side of the auxiliary lever, make the adjust¬ 
ment by turning the adjusting screw in the front side of 
the auxiliary lever. Never try to make this adjustment 
with the connecting screw tight, as the lug of the auxiliary 
lever is liable to be broken. 

THE SECOND ELEVATOR 

The second elevator consists of two levers, connected by 
a bolt and cushion spring. The short lever carries a roller 
which operates on cam No. 6. The short lever operates the 
long lever, to carry the matrices from the first elevator to 
the distributor box. On the outer end of the second elevator 
lever is the bar plate and second elevator bar. The matrices 
are held on this bar by their combination teeth. On the 
right-hand end of the second elevator bar plate is a stop 
pawl. The stop pawl prevents the matrices being pushed too 
far to the right during the transfer from the first elevator 
to the second elevator, and keeps the matrices from striking 
the distributor box bar when the second elevator is being 
raised to its upper position. 

When the elevator is at transfer point, the roller should 
be free of the cam. Adjust by the nut on the connecting bolt 
which connects the two levers. This is to assure the elevator 
seating in its proper position on the transfer channel to 
receive the line of matrices from the first elevator. The 
machine should be in normal position, the automatic stop¬ 
ping pawl resting on the upper stopping lever, when making 
this adjustment. With the machine in normal position, 
adjust so the connecting bolt is free to turn, with no end 
play between the head of the bolt and the adjusting nut. 
When this adjustment is properly made, and the machine 
is turned to transfer position, the roller will be free of the 
cam. When in normal position the second elevator bar will 
align with the bar of the distributor box. Unless the con¬ 
necting bolt is free to turn when the machine is in normal 
position, the second elevator will not be properly seated 
in the distributor shifter guide, and the second elevator 
and distributor box bars will not align. 


94 


Second Elevator Starting Spring 

Located just inside the machine frame, near cam No. 2, 
and connected to the short lever of the second elevator, is 
the second elevator starting spring and rod. When the 
second elevator is at transfer point the adjusting nut should 
touch the spring. The spring is to start the elevator down 
and prevent sticking at the distributor. 

The most tension is on the spring when the machine is 
at normal position and as the cam revolves, the second ele¬ 
vator cam lever will get its proper movement when going to 
transfer position. The spring also causes a steady movement 
of the second elevator lever when going from transfer to 
normal position. This adjustment has become obsolete on 
the new machines. 

Second Elevator Safety Catch 

On the end of the second elevator lever, near cam No. 10, 
either beneath or at the back side of the shaft, is a pro¬ 
jection for the purpose of preventing the elevator from fall¬ 
ing and being damaged should anything catch or hold the 
lever momentarily from following the cam. This projection 
engages with a safety pawl on the machine frame. This pawl 
must be released before the lever roller can rest on the cam. 
When the elevator descends at its regular time, the safety 
catch is held open by a raised piece on the surface of cam 
No. 10. 


MAIN CAMS 

The main cams control the movements of the various 
levers of the machine and their operations are' dependent on 
these cams. 

The assembling and distributing mechanisms alone are 
independent of the main cams. 

Standing at the rear of the machine and counting from 
the right, the cams have the following action: Cam No. 1 is 
the first elevator cam. This cam operates the first elevator 
slide, through the auxiliary and first elevator levers, by 
means of a connection made by a connecting link. This 
cam lowers the first elevator slide and jaws with the matrix 


95 


line to the mold and then lifts it to the intermediate chan¬ 
nel for the transfer to the second elevator bar. The elevator 
has five changes of position in the casting of the line. 

The second is the distributor shifter cam. This cam is 
inside the frame of the machine, under cam No. 3, and to 
which it is fastened with two dowel pins and a screw. This 
cam operates the distributor shifter for transferring the 
matrices from the second elevator bar to the distributor box 
and forcing the matrix line against the matrix lift. This 
action is produced by a rider assembled in the distributor 
shifter hub which is fastened by a shaft to the mold gear 
arm. The rider is brought up against the face of this cam 
by a coil spring which is fastened to the lower end of the 
hub and to the frame of the machine. Assembled with the 
rider in the hub is a cushion spring that takes care of any 
undue strain that might occur in the action of the cams. 

The third is the mold turning cam. The two gear seg¬ 
ments attached to this cam impart rotation to the mold turn¬ 
ing pinion which in turn revolves the mold disk. The short 
segment engages the pinion and turns the disk one-quarter 
revolution, bringing the mold in position to receive the line 
of matrices. The long segment in turn brings the disk and 
mold to ejecting position, completing the revolution of the 
cams. 

The fourth (a part of cam No. 3) is the vise closing and 
second justification cam. The lever, directly under this cam, 
has a roller that follows the contour of the cam. A heavy 
coil spring beneath the lever presses the roller against the 
cam. The lever is forked at the front end and actuates the 
vise closing mechanism, and also acts with the justification 
lever in making the second justification. 

The fifth is the justification lever cam. The lever directly 
under this cam has a roller that follows the contour of the 
cam. The heavy coil spring beneath the lever presses the 
roller against the contour of this cam, justifying the line of 
matrices by forcing the spacing mechanism against the 
spacebands. This lever in its downward motion operates the 
slug lever. 

The sixth ( a part of cam No. 5) is the second elevator 
cam, which operates the second elevator arm by means of 

96 


a roller following the contour of this cam. This arm, to 
which the lever is fastened, lowers the second elevator to 
receive the line of matrices at the transfer position and 
then raises them to the distributor box. 

The seventh is the pot pump cam and operates the pump 
lever. There is a roller on this lever resting against the face 
of the cam. This lever forces the metal into the mold cell 
as the cam revolves to the low portion. The lever is forced 
down by a strong spring. The new style pot pump lever is 
connected to its shaft and has a lever extending into the 
column. It is pulled downward by a stiff coil spring. 

The eighth is the pot cam, which acts on the pot lever, 
forcing the mouth of the pot forward against the mold. 
There are two shoes on this cam. The first or short shoe 
is to cause the face alignment; the second or long shoe is to 
lock the pot firmly against the mold before the slug is cast. 
A roller is carried in the pot lever and follows the contour of 
this cam and is the medium through which the above lock¬ 
up is accomplished. 

The ninth is the mold slide cam and driving gear. The 
right side of this gear is channeled out, and carries the mold 
slide lever roller which operates the mold slide to advance 
the mold disk to a position in which the lugs of the matrices 
are held in the groove of the mold for alignment. It also 
returns the mold disk after the line has been cast, advances 
it again to ejecting position, and returns it after the slug is 
ejected. This gear also carries the pot return cam, which 
withdraws the pot from the mold after the cast. It also 
carries the ejector cam which engages the pawl on the ejec¬ 
tor lever and moves it forward, ejecting the slug from the 
mold. 

The tenth cam operates the delivery slide and transfer 
cam roller arms and causes these two parts to return to 
normal position after their respective movements. The 
delivery slide cam roller rotates on the outer surface, while 
the transfer slide cam roller acts on the inner surface. This 
cam also retracts the ejector lever after the slug has been 
ejected. The automatic safety and stopping pawls are at¬ 
tached to this cam. They are operated by the transfer slide 
and the delivery slide rollers. This cam really consists of 


97 


two parts in one, the outer cam controlling the return of the 
delivery slide and the inner one controlling the return of 
the transfer slide lever. 

The cams are all fastened together by four long bolts ex¬ 
tending from cam No. 2 and ending at cam No. 9. They are 
all keyed to the main shaft and held in place by a set screw 
under cam No. 7. The cams can be shifted a little sidewise 
but should set against a collar on the left side of the main 
shaft under cam No. 2. Cam No. 10 is held in place by a key 
on the shaft and a set nut and is kept from working toward 
the left by a locating piece fastened to the main shaft. 

The cams should be kept clean to prevent undue wear. 
Under ordinary conditions, the cams should be cleaned once 
each week. This may be accomplished by locking the con¬ 
trolling lever out so the cams will continue to rotate. Then 
hold a rag against the surface of the cam. A small amount 
of a mixture of gasoline and kerosene on the rag will help 
to cut all dirt and grit loose from the cams, and leave the 
surface in good condition and reduce the wear. Cams 
allowed to run without being cleaned will wear very rapidly 
and soon cause much trouble and expense. 

FIRST ELEVATOR SLIDE GUIDE 

The first elevator slide guide contains the intermediate 
bar and pawl (assembled), adjusting screws for the same, 
first elevator jaw duplex rail operating blocks, and the ele¬ 
vator transfer slide releasing lever. 

The height of the intermediate bar and pawl is adjusted 
by the two small screws that pass through the top and touch 
the bar. The purpose of the bar and pawl is to push down 
any spacebands that may not have dropped to normal posi¬ 
tion as the line is carried from casting position to the 
transfer. If the pawl was set too high, the spacebands would 
strike the second elevator bar, and wear the lower rail. 

The bar should be set so that when the second elevator 
is seated at transfer position, the pawl, when raised to its 
highest point, will be in line with the bottom of the second 
elevator bar. This adjustment is made with the two screws 
that pass through the slide guide and touch the intermediate 
bar. 


98 


It is also necessary for both ends of the intermediate bar 
to be the same height. After adjusting the pawl, turn the 
machine until the transfer slide finger has entered the chan¬ 
nel ; lay a six-inch scale flat on the first elevator jaws in line 
with the bar, but clearing the pawl. Raise the first elevator 
slide by hand until the scale touches the bar. Adjust the bar 
horizontal with the scale by the same two screws that pass 
through the top of slide guide. 

Duplex Rail Operating Blocks 

The first elevator jaw duplex rail operating blocks are 
fastened to the slide guide adjusting strip and have a limited 
adjustment, but when they are worn so they will not operate 
the rail properly, they should be renewed. 

Releasing Lever 

The releasing lever is for the purpose of preventing the 
transfer of a line in case the second elevator does not descend 
or seat properly. The adjusting screw in the side of the 
second elevator lever should raise the left end of the releas¬ 
ing lever % 2 of an inch above the block on the transfer slide 
when the second elevator is seated in transfer position. 

TRANSFER SLIDE 

The transfer slide gets its motion from the transfer 
lever to which it is connected by means of a link. 

The transfer lever gets its action from the split transfer 
cam lever and roller, which are held against cam No. 10 by 
a spring in the column. 

The slide should be adjusted to allow 5% e inches from 
the intermediate channel to slide finger. (Allow one inch 
more on 36-em machines). This adjustment should be made 
with the machine in normal position. Loosen the two screws 
on the split lever, move the slide finger 5% 0 inches from the 
channel, and hold; then move the roller against the cam and 
tighten the screws. This adjustment is necessary so that 
a 30-em line, which measures 5 inches, will clear the trans¬ 
fer slide finger % 2 of an inch. The last matrix is carried 1 % 2 
of an inch inside the first elevator jaws. There will be 


99 


a clearance of % 2 of an inch from the first matrix and 
the transfer slide finger when the machine is in transfer 
position. Be sure the transfer finger is not bent when 
measuring this distance. 

The cut in the slide finger should be flush with the left 
end of the second elevator bar plate, when it has transferred 
the line to the second elevator. This adjustment is made by 
the screw in the automatic safety pawl, which comes in con¬ 
tact with the buffer, on cam No. 10. 

With the machine in transfer position, the cam lever 
roller is against the buffer in cam No. 10. The adjusting 
screw in the automatic safety pawl, being against the inner 
end of buffer, regulates the distance between the cut in the 
finger and second elevator bar plate. This adjustment, when 
properly made, insures the line being moved from the first 
to the second elevator. Turning the adjusting screw to the 
right increases the distance between the slide finger and the 
bar plate. Turning to the left decreases it. 

The horizontal screw in the transfer slide should bank 
against the buffer in the spaceband lever to allow % of an 
inch between the cut in the slide finger and the spaceband 
lever pawl when the slide finger and spaceband lever pawl 
are at their closest point during transfer. 

After the line has been transferred to the second eleva¬ 
tor the spacebands, not having combinations, remain in the 
transfer channels and must be moved under the spaceband 
lever pawl so they can be returned to spaceband box. When 
the transfer cam lever roller is at the lowest part of cam 
No. 10, the adjusting screw in transfer slide, coming in con¬ 
tact with the buffer in the spaceband lever, regulates the 
distance between the cut in the slide finger and the bottom 
of the slot in the spaceband lever pawl. 

SPACEBAND LEVER 

The spaceband lever gets its motion from the transfer 
lever, through a turnbuckle which connects the transfer 
lever and the spaceband lever. The purpose of this form of 
coupling, so threaded that when connecting the two levers 
it may be turned to regulate the length of the connected 
parts, is to adjust the spaceband lever so the spaceband lever 


100 


pawl will pass the highest point of the spaceband box rails, 
properly bringing the spacebands into the box. 

Before making the spaceband lever adjustment, make 
sure that the transfer slide finger is properly adjusted. Then 
place the machine in normal position. 

Adjust the turnbuckle so the hook of the pawl passes to 
the right of the highest point of the spaceband box rails 
not more than %e of an inch. If there is too much space be¬ 
tween the end of the pawl and the latch on the spaceband 
box, which is used as a lock, when recasting 30 ems the slide 
finger would move to the right against the line and force the 
matrix from the inner end of the first elevator before the 
pawl would come in contact with the latch. If the slide ad¬ 
justments are properly made, the turning of the turnbuckle 
will have no effect in the adjustment of the slide finger. 

Spaceband Lever Pawl 

The spaceband pawl is fastened to the spaceband lever 
by a pivot pin and held in place by a bushing, which fits 
over the pin. The screw which clamps the bushing to the pin 
extends downward through the top of the lever. The pawl 
pulls the spacebands back into the box after the transfer. 
The pawl should ride freely in the transfer channel, its 
bearing being a pin screwed into the back side of the pawl. 
This pin rides on the top of the transfer channel. The side- 
wise adjustment of the pawl is made by loosening the screw 
in the top of the transfer lever and allowing the machine to 
turn over for a few lines, the pawl thus seating itself. The 
spaceband pawl is held down on the transfer channel by a 
small spring. The tension of this spring should be strong 
enough to hold the spacebands from slipping from under the 
pawl. 

MOLD SLIDE 

The mold slide, which carries the mold disk and molds, 
moves in a slideway at the right of the metal pot and gets 
its action from cam No. 9, and the mold cam lever on which 
are assembled two rollers. One roller is fastened to the lever 
by a screw and a washer, and is seated in a depression in 
the rear end of the mold slide connecting the mold slide with 


101 


cam No. 9. The other roller has as its bearing an adjust¬ 
able eccentric pin fastened to the mold cam lever, and fol¬ 
lows the contour of the cam in the right side of cam No. 9. 

When a line of matrices is in position in front of the 
mold, the mold slide advances so that the lugs of the mat¬ 
rices will enter the aligning grooves of the mold. This 
position is held until the spacebands are driven up for justi¬ 
fication and the line is raised for alignment. The slide then 
comes forward a second time for final lockup just as the 
metal pot locks against the back of the mold. 

When the mold slide comes forward the first time there 
should be .010 of an inch space between the mold and the 
vise jaws or the line. This space between the mold and the 
jaws is regulated by the eccentric pin in the mold cam lever 
roller, and allows the proper justification and alignment of 
the matrices before the final lockup. 

During the alignment and during the first justification, 
the matrices must be perfectly free, so that they may re¬ 
adjust themselves sidewise in the line. Hence the impor¬ 
tance of preventing the mold from pressing forward against 
the matrices and spacebands at its first movement. 

If the slide advances too far forward the aligning groove 
of the mold would engage the lugs of the matrices before the 
first elevator jaws were seated properly on the vice cap, 
shearing the lugs of the matrices. Or if the mold was forced 
to lockup tight against the line, it would prevent justifying 
properly, causing hair lines to show between the matrices or 
a squirt on the left-hand end. If there is too much space be¬ 
tween the mold and the jaws, when the first elevator raises 
for alignment, the lugs of the matrices not being in the 
aligning groove, would permit the line of matrices to raise 
to the upper aligning groove of the mold, causing the line of 
matrices to be cast on the raised position; or if the aligning 
groove did not advance close to hold the lugs, there would 
be a small squirt. 

The .010 of an inch adjustment also affects the lockup of 
the slide at ejecting position. If there is a trifle more space 
between the mold and the line than .010 of an inch, the mold 
will not seat against the banking blocks at ejecting point. 


102 


This will sometimes allow the slug to twist slightly, causing 
it to be trimmed crooked. 

To test this adjustment: Turn the casting mechanism 
until the first elevator jaws are resting on the vise cap; 
place a pig of metal under the head of the slide and on top 
of the vise automatic stop rod; fold a piece of newspaper 
three thicknesses, or proof paper until it measures about 
.010 of an inch; close the vise jaws; place the paper between 
the mold and the vise jaws; turn the machine by hand until 
the metal pot is just ready to move forward; pull up on the 
paper, which should bind a trifle as it is being withdrawn. 
If the paper does not bind or binds too tight it would show 
that the slide is out of adjustment. 

To make the slide adjustment, place the paper between 
the jaws and the mold as in the test. Change the position of 
the mold slide by moving the eccentric pin in the mold cam 
lever roller so that the paper can be withdrawn, binding just 
a trifle. Moving the handle forces the mold slide either 
forward or backward, as desired. 

The mold slide moves in the slideway on a gib. There 
should be .007 of an inch play between the mold slide and 
the gib because the mold slide will expand from the heat of 
the metal pot, but by having the above mentioned play, it will 
not bind, and will slide in and out freely. 

This adjustment is made by the two square head screws 
under the gib on which the slide moves. There is no gib 
on the late model machines, and consequently no adjustment 
for the slideway. 

As the mold slide advances, it slides up on the locking 
stud blocks on the vise, raising the slide approximately .007 
of an inch. The screw beneath the mold disk guide on the 
mold gear arm should have a little clearance above it when 
the slide is forward on the locking stud blocks. There should 
be play enough to slip a sheet of paper between the screw’ 
and the guide when the mold disk is forward on the locking 
studs. 

To remove a mold slide: Lower the vise to second posi¬ 
tion, disconnect the mold slide, and take out the ejector lever 
link. Pull forward on the slide and disk, assembled, and 
lift out. 


103 


MOLD DISK LOCKING STUDS AND BLOCKS 


After the mold disk makes the one-quarter and three- 
quarter revolutions, the mold slide advances and the mold 
disk locking studs enter the locking stud blocks which are 
on the vise. This keeps the disk in position until the slug 
has been cast or ejected, as the case may be. 

On old style machines the bushings are in the disk, and 
the studs are in the blocks. On all the new machines the 
studs are in the disk and each bushing and block is made in 
one piece. The blocks are held to the vise by the screws and 
dowel pins that pass through the front of the vise and screw 
into the blocks. The left-hand stud block on the newer 
models is loose sidewise, which permits the studs to enter 
the stud blocks with the minimum amount of wear to the 
parts. 

The stud blocks can be renewed by taking the old ones 
off one at a time and using the remaining block as a guide. 

The studs should be kept lubricated with a little graphite 
and grease. Too much will collect on the mold and get to 
the matrices. 


EJECTOR SLIDE 

The ejector slide is connected to the ejector lever, by 
means of a link, and is located in the channel cut in the side 
of the mold slide. It is operated by the ejector cam, 
which comes in contact with the ejector lever pawl. The 
cam is held tight to cam No. 9 by means of a screw and dowel 
pin. After the ejector lever is brought forward, it is pushed 
back into position by cam No. 10 coming in contact with a 
projection on the ejector lever. There is a buffer spring 
placed on the ejector slide which prevents the slide falling 
forward with a sudden jerk after the ejector lever has 
passed its center of gravity and the slug has passed the 
resistance of the trimming knives. The spring works on 
a rod which banks against the ejector blade guide. If this 
spring is not functioning, the slug will be thrown out on the 
floor. 


104 


EJECTOR BLADE 


The blade is connected to the ejector slide by the pins 
that pass through the holes in the blade, the pins being 
operated by the springs, throw-out cam, and lever. The blade 
pushes the slug out of the mold, between the trimming 
knives, into the chase channel. 

When the ejector blade advances to the ejecting position 
the front end should come flush with the bracket on the 
chase or galley. If it advanced beyond, the slug would be 
pushed out of the galley to the floor. If it does not advance 
flush, the slug not being pushed all the way out, would be 
turned to the right by the slug lever. The adjustment is 
made with the screw that passes through the ejector lever 
pawl. 

If the blade advances beyond the bracket, turn in the 
pawl screw and raise the pawl. The higher the pawl is 
raised, the less distance the slug advances. 

On machines that have the inclined galley, adjust blade 
to come flush with the bevel on the knife block liner. 

EJECTOR GUIDE BLOCK 

The outer end of the ejector blade is held in place and 
guided by the ejector guide block which sets directly back 
of the flange of the mold disk, and is held by two machine 
screws passing through each end of the block into the mold 
slide. This guide holds the blade in position so it will pass 
squarely through the mold. It also helps the buffer spring to 
steady the forward motion of the ejector. The point of con¬ 
tact of the ejector block with the ejector blade is made of 
brass and is held against the blade by spring tension. 

The ejector blade guide should be kept free from oil, dirt, 
and metal shavings, as these impair the free working of the 
guide. The brass strip should be replaced when worn. Loose 
screws or a worn brass strip will cause slugs to be thrown 
out on the floor. 

To Change an Ejector Blade 

Push in on the starting and stopping lever; let the vise 
down to first position; back the machine by pushing back on 


105 


cam No. 1 until the second elevator falls on the safety hook; 
turn the mold disk until the slot is in front of the blade; 
push the ejector lever forward; remove the blade by reach¬ 
ing the right-hand in alongside the mold slide and grasp the 
releasing lever and draw it towards the front. Change the 
blade for the size wanted, and then let machine come to 
normal position. Be careful not to get a blade wider than 
the slug to be cast or there is danger of damaging the liners, 
or the mold will be damaged. A good plan is always to check 
up on the ejector blade after changing the liners. 

UNIVERSAL EJECTOR 

The universal ejector consists of a series of blades, 5- 
points in thickness, in 2-em units; as a rule the first, or 
lower blade is a 4-em, and then in 2-em units up to 30-ems 
pica. These unit blades move between plates, which brace 
them firmly on both sides, making them rigid and prevent¬ 
ing the blade from bending. 

The back end of the unit blades are fastened to ejector 
blade links that move in grooves cut lengthwise of the slide. 
There is a link for each unit blade and they terminate at 
the back end of the mold slide in front of a groove milled 
across the slide. A movable controller bar works in a groove 
in the ejector slide, moving up or down in the groove, back 
of a lug on each of the blade links. When the ejector lever 
forces the ejector slide forward, the controller bar in the 
groove of the slide comes against the lugs of the ejector 
links forcing the blades forward through the mold. 

The blades are withdrawn by a lug on the ejector slide 
coming in contact with the lugs on the links. 

When desiring to change the length of the blade to be 
used, move the ejector blade controlling lever handle up or 
down. This handle is situated below the starting and stop¬ 
ping lever and is conected to the controller bar by a screw 
link. Also connected to this handle is a pica gauge which 
operates in a groove in the delivery channel. 

Moving the handle up or down engages less or more 
blades, the length being indicated on the pica gauge in the 
delivery channel. 


106 


To remove the mold slide on machines which have a uni¬ 
versal ejector, lower the vise to second position, set the ejec¬ 
tor at 10 or 12 ems, take out the ejector blade controller link 
which screws into the controller link lift. This will permit 
the controller bar to drop out. Disconnect the mold slide and 
take out the ejector lever link. If the machine is connected 
up with the water for cooling the molds, it will be necessary 
to disconnect the hose before taking out the slide. 

Removing a Stuck Slug 

When there is a slug stuck in the mold, allow the ma¬ 
chine to come to normal by backing the machine sufficiently 
to allow the ejector lever pawl to be raised, draw back on the 
ejector lever until the pawl clears the ejector cam. Pull out 
the starting lever allowing the machine to come to normal. 
Open the vise and remove the slug from the mold by loosen¬ 
ing the mold cap screws. Do not drive a stuck slug out with 
the ejector blade. 


MOLD KNIFE 

The mold or back knife trims the base of the slug and is 
fastened to the mold slide arm, back of the mold disk. It is 
placed at an angle of about 45 degrees and is held by two 
washers and two round-head screws which pass through the 
slotted holes of the knife. It is also held by two adjusting 
screws that set against the base so that the knife will set 
squarely and press lightly against the mold as the disk is 
turned from casting to the ejecting position. As the mold 
passes in front of the knife, the slug should be trimmed 
type-high, which is .918 of an inch. 

The front of the mold disk, when turning, must be bear¬ 
ing against the mold disk guide so as to keep the mold 
against the knife while the slug is being trimmed. If the 
mold disk guide does not set snugly against the disk, the 
disk will spring away from the knife and the slug will be 
higher on one end than the other. The guide is adjusted 
by loosening the screw which holds it to the mold slide and 
moving it snugly against the mold disk. Do not set the guide 
tight enough to bind and prevent the free turning of the 
disk. 


107 


It sometimes happens that a disk will bind at one or 
more places as it is being turned. This is due to the disk 
becoming warped from heat or some other cause. If it is 
only a slight bind it will not interfere with the adjustment. 

Whenever it is necessary to put on a new or resharpened 
mold knife, or to adjust it, be sure the mold disk guide is 
bearing against the rim of the mold disk. It is always better 
to remove the guide and clean it as it must be perfectly 
clean when it seats against the disk. Always have the knife 
away from the mold when seating the guide. Tighten the 
hexagon head screw slightly and then tap the guide until a 
slight pressure against the disk is secured. Turn the disk 
by hand until an even pressure has been secured and then 
tighten the hexagon head nut tight. 

Place the mold knife on the knife seat; be sure the seat 
is clean, for the least particle of dirt or metal will make it 
more difficult to make the adjustment. Also the bottom of 
the mold must be perfectly clean and free from all metal. 
Set the knife square with, but not quite touching the mold. 
Tighten down on the two round-head screws, then adjust 
with the two screws under the bottom of knife so that mold 
will turn without binding. The left-hand end of the knife 
trims the ends of the slugs; the center of the knife trims 
the center of the slugs. Avoid excessive pressure on either 
side as the knife is so shaped that the sharp edge should 
just touch the mold. 

After making sure that the guide block and the knife are 
properly set, cover the back of the mold with a thin coating 
of red lead; turn the disk and mold until the mold passes the 
knife. If the knife is adjusted properly, is should scrape 
the lead from the mold. It is not always an easy matter to 
set a mold knife, taking considerable patience and care 
because the knife must be set to thousandths of an inch. 
Cast a slug and measure with the micrometers to make sure 
the slug is trimmed to the proper height. When measuring 
the slug for height with micrometers, use a slug 15 picas in 
length, or one that fills half of the capacity of the mold. Have 
the regular letter characters cast on the slug. 

Metal will adhere to the bottom of the mold if the mold 
knife is not sharp or properly adjusted. To keep a perfect 


108 


lockup the bottom of the mold must be kept clean. Mold 
knives can be resharpened, but as they are shaped to set 
just so the edge of the knife touches the mold and must 
not vary, for even .001 of an inch will spoil the adjustment, 
they should be shipped to the nearest agency to be re¬ 
sharpened. 

Be sure the knife is at fault before starting to adjust it. 
Mold Banking Strips 

The mold banking strips are fastened on the vise, one 
above the parallel knives and the other one below the bottom 
end of the knives. These strips prevent the mold from com¬ 
ing in contact with the knives and holds the disk rigid when 
ejecting the slug, assisting the knives in trimming the slug 
parallel. The mold slide should advance the proper distance 
so the mold will just bank against the banking strips when 
forward for ejecting the slug. 

KNIFE BLOCK 

At the present time there are two styles of knife blocks 
in common use, namely: The wedge adjustment block, which 
allows for a range form 5 to 12 points, inclusive; and the 
universal knife block which allows for a range from 5 to 36 
points, inclusive. These blocks are fastened to the vise frame 
by two hexagon head machine screws and held rigid by four 
dowel pins. To remove the block it is only necessary to 
take out the two machine screws and work the block out 
of the dowel pin holes. A certain amount of care is necessary 
not to drop the block or bend the pins. 

Trimming Knives 

The purpose of the trimming knives is to trim the slugs 
to the proper size and the sides parallel. 

The measurement of a type-founders point is .0138% of 
an inch. The measurement of a linotype point is .014 of 
an inch. 

The point unit now used on the matrices is the one used 
by the type-founders. The linotype point is still being used 
when adjusting the trimming knives. A 10-point slug, when 


109 


trimmed correctly, should measure .140 of an inch, or 10 
times .014 of an inch. 

The left-hand knife trims the overhang from the smooth 
side of the slug and is held to the vise by two square head 
screws that pass through the front, and is adjusted by two 
screws, at the top and bottom of the knife block and bearing 
against the knife. This knife should be adjusted to be in 
line with the left side of the mold; it is only intended to 
remove the fins which form at the top of the slug. It is not 
intended to remove metal from the smooth side of the slug. 

If the left-hand knife does not trim the overhang off 
the slug, it will cause the slugs to be thicker at the top than 
at the bottom, and be off their feet. This will cause trouble 
in the lockup of the form, the columns having a tendency to 
raise up in the center. 

Always loosen the two screws which hold the knife to 
the vise when making any adjustment of the left-hand knife. 
Turning in on the adjusting screws without loosening the 
two lock screws may cause the knife to spring and trim the 
slugs more in the center than on the ends. 

The right-hand knife trims the slug to thickness and is 
held to the slide bracket on the universal knife block, by two 
round head screws. It is forced to the right against the 
adjusting screws by two springs. The screws that hold the 
knife to the bracket should be loose when moving the ad¬ 
justing screws outward, as the spring should force the knife 
against the adjusting screws in this movement. It is not 
necessary to release the screws that hold the knife to the 
bracket when turning the screws inward as the screws 
are forced against the knife in this adjustment. 

The screws in the sector are set to step from one point 
size to another and should not be changed except when 
necessary to trim any body size to a special thickness. 

Beneath the bracket to which the knife is fastened are 
two spiral springs that force the bracket and knob button 
against the sector screws. Moving the lever operates the 
sector, and the screw coming in contact with the button 
on the slide causes the knife to move in or out one point or 
as many as the lever is moved. When casting a 10-point 
slug, have the pointer on figure 10. 


110 


After having the knives adjusted to trim one size slug, 
the knife block is constructed so as to trim all others, by 
merely moving the handle on the knife block. When chang¬ 
ing the universal knife block, be sure that one of the lever 
detent pins has entered the hole in the sector. 

To adjust the trimming knives, first set the right-hand 
knife by turning the two adjusting screws that are in the 
knife block slide bracket and touching the side of the knife, 
so it will trim the ribs of a slug; then adjust the knife that 
trims the overhang from the smooth side of the slug; then 
re-adjust the right-hand knife to thickness and parallel. Do 
not attempt to adjust the knife that trims the overhang 
from the smooth side of the slug unless the right-hand knife 
is trimming the ribs. 

Wedge Style Knife Block 

The wedge style knife block is the old style quick-change 
block and is held to the vise in the same manner as the 
universal block. The left-hand knife is mounted and ad¬ 
justed the same as with the universal block. The right- 
hand knife is held to the block by two shoulder screws which 
pass through the two friction springs and washers from 
the front of the block. This assembly holds the knife tight 
against the block, but permits the two strong springs to 
force the knife against the wedge. 

The wedge is operated by a small hand lever and is 
graduated from 5 to 12 points, inclusive. By pulling the 
lever up or down the wedge moves and the knife follows 
the wedge. 

Knife, Right Hand, Spring Plate 

There is a steel plate assembled in the right side of the 
knife block which keeps the slugs upright as they travel 
through the knife block into the chase. This plate is 
called the knife spring plate and is held in place by two lugs 
at the back of the plate extending into the base of the right- 
hand knife. It is forced toward the left by a flat bronze 
spring, called the spring plate spring. There should be just 
enough tension on this spring to force the plate up against 
the outgoing slug with an even pressure so the slug will be 


ill 


held upright as it is being pushed into the chase by the 
ejector blade. The flat spring is so shaped that the ends 
fit behind rivet heads, to hold the plate in place. If the spring 
becomes bent so it will not stay behind the rivets, the lugs 
will work out of their seat and the gate will obstruct the 
passageway of the slug. This will oftentimes smash the 
face of the slugs. 

Facts and Suggestions About Trimming Knives 

The right-hand knife must be adjusted so that its edge 
is exactly parallel with the left-hand knife in order to make 
the slug of equal thickness throughout its entire length. 
The faces of the two knives separate slightly toward the 
front of the machine, which allows the slug to pass freely 
forward from the cutting edges. The right-hand knife must 
be shaped so there is a cutting edge of about % 4 of an inch 
on the side that stands next to the slug. By having this edge 
the “gouging” of the knife into the slug is prevented, and 
slugs are trimmed to equal thickness at the top and bottom. 
This cutting edge must never be more than % 4 of an inch. 

Always remember that the knives can be set to trim the 
slugs perfectly from one point-size to another with accuracy, 
but it requires patience, as the knives must be adjusted to 
a thousandth part of an inch. 

Keep the knife block and the knives clean. The seat of 
the knives should also be clean. It will be impossible to get 
an accurate adjustment if dirt or gum interfers with the 
movement of the knives. 

The trimming knives should have exceedingly sharp or 
thin edges to work satisfactorily, if the knives become very 
dull or the cutting edge rounded or nicked, they should be 
taken off the machine and reground. Send them to the near¬ 
est agency as they are equipped with grinders and other fix¬ 
tures to do this regrinding and maintain the correct angles 
and shape of the knives. Always send both the right-hand 
and left-hand knives, as they should be reground in pairs, 
and the cutting edges should exactly match each other in 
order to obtain good results. 


112 


Use a full measure slug when adjusting the trimming 
knives. Cast a full line of capital letters on the slug and 
hold the matrices for recast. Measure the slug on the ribs 
at the top and near the bottom. The slug should measure 
the same at the top edge and near the bottom if the knife 
which trims the smooth side is correctly set. The slug should 
measure the same at the top edge of both ends if the knife 
which trims the rib side of the slug is correctly set. 

Before setting the trimming knives, make sure that the 
mold is properly seated in the mold disk and that there is 
no metal between the liners and the mold. 

When the trimming knives become dull it is practically 
impossible to set them to trim accurately. Even when they 
are set nearly accurate, they will hold the adjustment only 
a short time. 

Dull knives also cause trouble by making it difficult to 
eject the slug. This will often cause the clutch to slip. 

When a long slug measures thicker or thinner at the 
ends than in the center, it is usually due to dull knives, but 
may be caused by the knives being forced in a twist or 
strain by the adjusting screws or some foreign substance 
behind the knives. 


KNIFE WIPER 

The knife wiper is a very important part of the Lino¬ 
type. Its function is to wipe the burrs or slug trimmings 
from the face of the parallel knives after a slug is ejected. 
If the knife wiper is not working, the face of the line of 
type will have an accumulation of shavings from the previ¬ 
ous line on it. 

The knife wiper in use on all machines of very recent 
manufacture is operated by a small roller, fastened to a 
bracket on the first elevator slide, which comes in contact 
with a lever connected to the knife wiper bar. When the 
elevator goes from normal to the lower, or casting, position, 
the knife wiper bar is forced upward. On the upper end of 
the knife wiper bar is a small brass wiper which is forced 
upward with the bar. This wiper rubs against the trimming 
knives, cleaning them of the metal shavings which may have 
lodged from the previous slug trimmed. 


113 


There are no adjustments on this type of wiper, except 
to have the brass lightly touching the knives. 

Old Style Knife Wiper 

There are quite a number of the old style knife wipers 
still in use. This knife wiper is operated by a latch rod on 
the first elevator lever. This rod comes in contact with a 
latch on the knife wiper bar, on its downward stroke, and 
pushes the bar upward by coming in contact with the 
bottom of wiper bar on the upward stroke of the first 
elevator lever. The wiper bar should be free to move up 
and down in the guides, moving the brass wiper lightly 
over the face of the trimming knives. On the upper part of 
the wiper bar are two pins which prevent the bar from 
going too far below the knives and too high above them. A 
flat spring riding over the top of the bar holds it to the 
bottom of the guide so the brass wiper can operate properly. 

The brass wiper is held to the bar with two flat head 
screws, and the constant passing of the wiper over the face 
of the sharp knives soon wears the wiper so it will break 
off. A new wiper must be applied or the shavings will hang 
to the slugs. 

Never have the wiper bearing too hard on the face of 
the knife as the constant rubbing up and down will dull 
the trimming edge of the knives and wear the wiper in a 
short time. 

Keep the knife wiper in good working condition all the 
time and save proofreader’s marks. 

Do not forget that the knife wiper is operated by the 
first elevator slide. Therefore anything that prevents the 
free action of the wiper will interfere with the movement 
of the first elevator. 

MOLD TURNING CAM, SQUARE BLOCK, AND PINION 

The mold turning cam, known as cam No. 3, has attached 
to its side the long and short gear segments which impart 
rotation to the mold turning pinion and square block as the 
cam revolves. The square block and pinion are found on 
the inside of the mold gear arm. The gear segments on the 


114 


mold turning cam turns the pinion, the pinion turns the mold 
turning shaft, and the mold turning shaft turns the mold 
disk, through the mold disk pinion which meshes with the 
mold disk. The short segment turns the mold disk one- 
quarter of a revolution so as to bring the mold disk into 
casting position. The long segment turns the disk three- 
quarters of a revolution, bringing the mold and disk in 
ejecting position. The mold disk makes one complete revo¬ 
lution in one revolution of the cams. 

When the disk makes one-quarter revolution, it is ad¬ 
vanced so as to lock the stud block on the vise with the studs 
on the mold disk, and the slug is cast; the mold then is 
withdrawn and makes a three-quarter revolution, advanc¬ 
ing again and locking to eject the slug. When the mold disk 
makes the quarter and three-quarter revolutions, all lost 
motion must be taken up by the square block on the pinion. 
If there is any lost motion, the studs on the mold disk would 
not be parallel with the stud blocks on the vise so that they 
could not enter them without coming in contact with the rim 
of the stud block. 


Adjusting Shoes 

On the mold turning cam are two adjustable steel shoes 
for the purpose of taking up the play between the shoes and 
the square block when in the casting and ejecting position. 
These shoes are adjusted by screwing in on the bushing 
screws that extend through the cam and bank against the 
the shoes. Each shoe is held in place by two machine screws 
that extend through the bushing screw into the shoe. 
When adjusting the shoes care must be taken to make them 
parallel. The distance from the front end of each shoe to the 
outside of the cam must be the same as it is from the back 
end of the shoe to the outside of the cam. If these shoes are 
adjusted wider at the back than at the front they act as 
wedges as they go down by the square pinion, and may 
break the cam at the weakest point. If a shoe is set too 
tight against the square pinion it will break the cam. All 
that is necessary is to adjust them so as to take up the lost 
motion between the shoes and the square pinion. It is better 
to use a micrometer to measure the shoes to make sure they 


115 


are parallel. Allow a trifle lost motion between the square 
block and the shoes, because it is better for them to have a 
little play than to be too tight and perhaps break the cam. 

The square block and pinion are held in position on the 
shaft by a set screw, and there is no adjustment except to 
have this screw on the top when the machine is in normal 
position. The screw passes through the square block to the 
shaft and must enter the spot drilled on the shaft for the 
point of the screw so as to hold the pinion tight. On the two 
sides of the square block are two steel shoes, which are held 
to it by screws. These shoes can be renewed when they be¬ 
come worn. 

MOLD DRIVING SHAFT FRICTION CLAMP 

The object of the friction clamp is to prevent the mold 
disk from vibrating when advancing to the casting or eject¬ 
ing position, and is found attached to the mold driving shaft 
and held by a pin in the mold gear arm. The lost motion in 
several pinions from which the mold disk gets its action, 
will cause the disk to vibrate when stopping ready to ad¬ 
vance on the vise stud blocks, unless it is held by the clamp 
which acts as a brake. 

When the mold disk has made the one-quarter and three- 
quarter revolutions it must remain in that position, or the 
locking studs, coming in contact with the rims of the stud 
block, would wear. 

The friction clamp which overcomes the vibration is • 
made in two sections, with a leather lining, and connected to 
the mold turning shaft. A spring, washer, and lock nut add 
to its construction. The pin in the mold gear arm to which 
it is also connected prevents it from turning with the shaft. 
Do not have more friction than necessary, for if there is too 
much, the main clutch could not drive the machine, as the 
strong friction on the clamp would overcome the pull of the 
clutch spring. 


Retiming Mold Gears 

There are various methods of retiming the gears of the 
mold disk drive in case it is necessary to pull the disk 
forward while the machine is out of normal. 


116 


One method is to observe the position of the mold turn¬ 
ing segments. Remember that the short segment causes the 
mold to revolve one-quarter revolution, or from normal to 
casting position. The long segment causes the mold to re¬ 
volve three-quarters revolution, or from casting to ejecting 
position. The mold disk turns counter-clockwise. Place the 
gears in mesh so the punch marks on the gears register. 
Lock the mold slide in position. The drive pinion makes one 
complete revolution for each quarter revolution of the mold 
disk, and it goes on the connection pin at any complete revo¬ 
lution. Hold out on the drive pinion and turn the disk and 
drive pinion by hand the distance indicated by the amount of 
the segments which have passed the square block drive 
pinion. When the connecting pin enters the hole in the drive 
pinion, with the mold in the estimated position, the disk 
should be in time. Be sure the mold which is being used is 
the one which is placed in this position. For example, if 
the short segment and half of the long segment have passed 
the square block drive pinion, the mold should be turned one- 
half the distance from casting to ejection position. To 
observe what part of the segment is past the pinion, look 
directly underneath the frame of the machine which sup¬ 
ports the mold turning shaft. 

Another method of putting the disk in time is to dis¬ 
regard the position of the cams, connect the mold slide, and 
bring the disk, with the mold that is being used, into ejecting 
position. Hold the mold turning pinion away from the pin 
that connects it to the shaft, so that the disk will not revolve 
as the machine is set in motion. Pull out on the starting and 
stopping lever, thus letting the machine run around to nor¬ 
mal position. Be sure that the disk locking studs are parallel 
with the stud blocks before starting the machine. 

It is only necessary to let the vise down, disconnect the 
mold lever from the slide, and put the disk and drive pinion 
in time. 


117 


THE JUSTIFICATION LEVERS AND VISE 
JUSTIFICATION 

The two justification levers are located under the metal 
pot and main cams, extend forward from the back of the 
machine, and connect with the vise justification rods. These 
levers operate the justification rods and bar, assembled on 
the vise, and the vise closing lever. The levers get their 
motion from rollers which follow the contour of cams No. 
4 and 5, and are held against the cams by two strong springs 
in the rear of the machine. The justification bar rests on 
top of two rods that are forced up and down by the justifica¬ 
tion levers in guides in the frame of the vise. The rods are 
connected together by the justification bar and a diagonal 
brace rod, the various parts being connected by wing pins. 
The function of the justification bar is to drive the space- 
bands upward to justify the line just before the line is cast. 

The right-hand lever is called the first justification lever 
and is operated by cam No. 5. There are two upward move¬ 
ments of this lever: The preliminary, which justifies the line 
lightly; and the final, which justifies the line tightly for 
the cast. 

When the justification lever forces the rods upward for 
the first justification, the rod block moves upward at a slight 
angle, striking the spaceband at the right-hand end of the 
line first, and the others in quick succession. This action is 
so rapid that all the spacebands appear to move upward 
simultaneously. This causes the line to spread from right 
to left. After the first justification the spacebands stand at 
an uneven height, those at the right of the line being a 
trifle higher than those at the left. Since the line of matri¬ 
ces must fill the entire space between the jaws in order to 
cast, it is apparent that in order to get the greatest possible 
freedom of action it is necessary that the matrices be pushed 
toward the left gradually. Should the rod block come up 
perfectly horizontal, the spacebands would move to the 
left at the same time they are moving upward. This would 
cause them to drag on the rod block and prevent a good 
lockup and alignment and a possibility of bending the 
spacebands. By coming up on a slight angle, each band is 


118 


practically justified separately in its particular part of the 
line, and the dragging of the bands on the rod block is great¬ 
ly reduced. 

The justification lever also makes a slight upward move¬ 
ment after the slug has been ejected. This movement op¬ 
erates the slug lever, through a roller, and pushes the slugs 
forward in the stick. 

The spring which operates the first justification lever 
should be strong enough to justify the line properly, re¬ 
gardless of the number of spacebands in the line. Before 
changing the tension at any time, be sure that the mold 
slide is properly adjusted. If the mold should lock too tight 
against the line it would bind the matrices and prevent 
proper justification. This would give the appearance of 
weak justification springs. 

The left-hand lever is called the vise closing lever, and 
is U-shaped on the forward end. One arm is connected by a 
hinge pin to the left-hand vise closing wedge and block. The 
other arm grooves around the left-hand justification rod, 
beneath a lug on the rod. 

After the line is brought to the casting position, the vise 
closing lever moves upward, immediately followed by the 
justification lever. The vise closing lever locks the left-hand 
vise jaw against the line and assists the justification lever 
on its second movement upward. While these two levers 
move almost in unison, their functions are different. On 
second justification, the vise closing lever moves upward 
slightly in advance of the first justification lever and sup¬ 
ports the left-hand end of the spaceband driving block, so 
that the spacebands are all driven to an equal height. On 
the first justification, the vise closing lever does not come in 
contact with the spaceband driving block. 

The justification spring is stronger than the vise closing 
spring. If for any reason the justification springs are re¬ 
moved, care should be taken that they are not changed 
while replacing them. 

THE VISE 

The vise is that part of the machine which carries, as 
its main parts, the first elevator slide, the vise justifica- 


119 


tion rods, the trimming knives, the vise automatic, the vise 
jaws, the slug lever, the mold disk locking stud blocks, the 
mold banking blocks, and the knife wiper. 

The bottom end of the vise is hinged to the base of the 
machine by a shaft. The top part is locked to the machine 
by the vise locking screws, which interlock with the vise 
locking studs on the frame. 

To open the vise to first position, push the control lever 
all the way in, and turn the handles of the locking screws 
in a vertical position, in which position they will be dis¬ 
engaged from the vise locking studs. 

The vise may be opened to first position at any time 
when the mold disk is not forward on the locking studs, 
or the first elevator is not in the top guide. The vise should 
never be opened to first position when the mold disk is 
forward on the locking studs because it is difficult to get 
it relocked on the studs against the lockup pressure; also 
there is danger of getting the ends of justification levers 
out of position under the collars on the justification rods. 

To open the vise to second position, let the machine 
turn forward until the first elevator is resting on the vise 
cap, just before the mold disk advances. Then lower to 
first position. Hold the vise up with the left hand, release 
pawl at the extreme bottom end of vise frame and let the 
vise down easily, pulling up on the first elevator slide with 
the right hand. This keeps the link from being damaged. 

Never let the vise down to second position unless the 
first elevator is in the lower position. To do so would throw 
the weight of the vise on the first elevator lever, with 
danger of breaking the lever. 

The vise locking studs are set at the factory to give 
the proper alignment of the vise with the mold. The studs 
often have a very thin washer between their back shoulder 
and the frame to give them the proper adjustment. Should 
it be necessary to remove or replace a stud, be careful not 
to lose or leave out the washers. Neither should more 
washers be added. To do so would force the vise in a 
strain when locked up, and cause an improper height of 
the slug. 


120 


VISE JAWS 


The vise jaws, between which the line is justified, regu¬ 
lates the position of the face of the type on each end of the 
slug. The mold liner regulates the length of the slug. The 
vise jaws should be adjusted to have the face of the type 
flush with each end of the slug. 

The short, or right-hand, jaw is adjusted by the adjust¬ 
ing screw in the knife block, under the right-hand vise lock¬ 
ing pin. When the line is being justified, the matrix on the 
right-hand end is forced against the face of the short jaw. 
The matrix on the left is forced against the face of the long, 
or left-hand, jaw which is held tight by the vise closing 
screw on the older models, or the vise closing wedge on the 
newer models. 

When it is desired to change the measure to be set, 
adjust the left-hand jaw with the adjusting rod. One-half 
em is the shortest distance the long jaw can be adjusted 
with the rod. If it is necessary to adjust less than this 
distance use the adjusting bushing which screws in the 
bracket. This applies to machines that are equipped with 
the vise closing wedge. 

On the older models, remove the screw that passes 
through the vise closing screw arm and screws into the 
adjusting flange. Then adjust the vise closing screws, 
which move the nut in or out. 

PUMP STOP 

The pump stop prevents the pump lever from operat¬ 
ing if the line is not properly justified. The short, or right- 
hand, vise jaw operates the pump stop operating lever. 
When the line is justified the right-hand jaw is moved to the 
right against the adjusting screw in the operating lever 
which forces the stop lever from under the catch block, al¬ 
lowing the pump lever to operate. If the line is not justified, 
the right-hand jaw does not touch the adjusting screw and 
the stop lever is allowed to remain under the catch block. 
This prevents the pump lever from operating. 

The pump stop should have y 32 of an inch between the 
pump stop lever and pot lever block when line is properly 
justified. 


121 


The pump stop lever is found under the pot lever block. 
It is connected to a bracket by a screw, and operated by a 
spring and operating lever. The adjustment is made with 
the screw in the operating lever. 

To test this adjustment, push the right-hand jaw toward 
the right and observe if the lever is clearing the block the 
proper distance. 

When the line is justified the pump stop operating lever, 
which is forced to the right by the short vise jaw, should 
have a trifle lost motion; if not, the position of the type on 
the right end of the slug would be regulated by the adjust¬ 
ing screw in the pump stop operating lever instead of the 
adjusting screw in the knife block. 

THE FRICTION CLUTCH 

The driving shaft of the machine is in two sections: The 
shaft proper, and the short shaft that carries the driving 
pinion. This pinion meshes with the driving gear, the two 
shafts being held together by a taper pin. The driving 
pinion makes eleven revolutions to one of the gear, the 
ratio being 11 to 1. 

The outer end of the driving shaft is hollow. Inside of 
the hollow shaft is a clutch rod and a spring. The spring fits 
against a collar on this rod and draws the rod inward. The 
inner end of the clutch rod is fastened by means of a long 
screw pin extending through a hole in the rod to a collar 
which encircles the shaft, the hole in the shaft being slotted, 
so that when the collar is moved the rod moves also. On the 
outward end of the shaft is mounted the friction clutch, the 
levers being fastened to the end of the clutch rod. The fric¬ 
tion clutch is keyed to the hollow shaft, so when the clutch 
is turned it also turns the shaft. 

Pressure on a forked lever fulcrumed to the base of the 
machine, one end of which encircles the collar and the other 
end touching the lower stop lever, holds the clutch out of 
action. When the pressure of the forked lever against the 
collar is released, the clutch spring expands and the clutch 
rod moves the collar inward until the leather buffers are 
pushed against the inner surface of the driving pulley, caus¬ 
ing the shaft to rotate. 


122 


After the machine has made a complete revolution, a 
pawl on cam No. 10 contacts the upper stopping lever and 
through the lower stopping lever forces the forked lever 
against the collar, throwing the friction out of action. 

The Clutch Spring 

The clutch spring is held in place by a small collar on 
the inside end of the clutch rod and a screw bushing on the 
outside, by which the tension of the spring is regulated. 
This tension should be sixteen to twenty pounds. A screw 
pin passes through a slot in the shaft, through the clutch 
rod, and into the opposite side of the collar. The outer end 
of the clutch rod is connected to the friction clutch by a 
screw which passes through the clutch rod. By taking off 
the clutch and hooking a balance spring in the screw hole 
in the rod and pulling out on the scale, the instant the rod 
moves the scale indicates the tension of the spring regis¬ 
tered. One end of the clutch rod is connected to the collar 
on the shaft, and the other end is connected to the clutch. 
When the collar is moved the clutch rod also moves in the 
same direction. 

When the clutch rod spring is adjusted to a tension of 
16 to 20 pounds it gives about the right friction to carry the 
machine through all its operations where everything is 
working properly, but if anything sticks or makes the ma¬ 
chine run hard, the clutch will slip. 

Friction Clutch Adjustments 

There are three positions of the starting and stopping 
lever: Starting, operation, and stopping. When pulled all 
of the way out the lever is in starting position. When the 
lever is in starting position, the eccentric screw in the start¬ 
ing and stopping lever pulls against the lug in the vertical 
lever and causes the upper lug to force the automatic stop¬ 
ping pawl off the upper stopping lever. This sets the machine 
in action. When the lever is half way out it is in operating 
position and allows the machine to start when a line is sent 
in. When the lever is pushed all the way in the clutch is 
thrown out of action and the machine is stopped. 


123 


When making any adjustments, have the lever in start¬ 
ing position (out as far as it will go). If the automatic 
stopping pawl is resting on the upper stopping lever, the 
adjustments could not be made, as the lower stopping lever 
would be forcing the forked lever against the collar, throw¬ 
ing the friction clutch out of action. 

The friction clutch should be adjusted so as to have 
1 % 2 of an inch between the collar and the shaft bearing. 
Place a 15 / 32 inch gage between the right-hand side of the 
collar and the left-hand side of the shaft bearing. If the 
distance is less than 15 / 82 of an inch, dress the leather buffers 
with a file. If the distance is more, place cardboard under 
the buffers to increase the thickness. On old-style machines 
this adjustment was made by two nuts, one on each side 
of the clutch rod. Putting cardboard under the buffers will 
not satisfactorily drive the machine if something else is 
wrong. If there is too much packing under the leathers 
the starting and stopping lever will have no effect on the 
clutch and the machine will not stop properly. 

The upper stopping lever and the lower stopping lever 
are fastened by pin pivots to a steel shaft which passes 
through the vertical lever. This allows a limited up and 
down movement of the stopping levers. The shaft is held in 
position by a set screw in the top of the vertical lever 
bracket. When the machine is in action the forked lever 
must be free of the collar. If it is not, the clutch does not 
get the proper pressure on the inside of the pulley, because 
the forked lever would push against the collar and force 
the rod and clutch outward. To be sure the forked lever 
is free of the collar, adjust so there is % 2 of an inch between 
the lower stopping lever and the forked lever. This adjust¬ 
ment is made by the screw in the lower part of the upper 
stopping lever. 

When the upper stopping pawl comes to rest on the 
upper stopping lever, it forces the adjusting screw in the 
lower part of the upper stopping lever against the lower 
stopping lever, and the bottom end of the lower stopping 
lever causes the forked lever to force the collar out, throw¬ 
ing the clutch out of action and stopping the machine. This 
gives a horizontal movement from a vertical action. The 


124 


automatic stop pawl should rest on the upper stopping lever 
y 4 of an inch when the machine is at normal. This adjust¬ 
ment is made by loosening the set screw which holds the 
shaft in the vertical starting lever, and moving the lever 
sidewise. When the stopping pawl rests % of an inch on the 
upper stopping lever, the automatic safety pawl will also 
rest on it exactly the same, as both pawls are adjusted the 
same. 

Fastened to cam No. 10 are two pawls. One is the auto¬ 
matic stopping pawl and stops the machine after it has 
made one complete revolution. The other is the automatic 
safety pawl, and stops the machine when a line fails to 
transfer from the first to the second elevator. These two 
pawls are adjusted by screws that pass through the pawl 
and strike the lug of the cam, and are held against this 
lug with a spring. The distance from the left-hand side 
of the pawl to the left-hand side of the cam should be 15 / 1(i 
of an inch. 

The vertical lever is fastened to the column, at the back 
of the machine above the forked lever, by a hexagon head 
machine screw at its upper end. The lower end is held in 
place by the shaft which passes through the lever into the 
machine frame. The only time the vertical lever is in action 
is when the machine is started by the starting and stopping 
lever. On the starting lever is an eccentric screw which 
stands behind the lower lug of the vertical lever. When the 
starting and stopping lever is pulled out, the eccentric screw 
engages the lower lug and pulls it forward, causing the 
upper lug to push the stopping or safety pawls clear of the 
upper stopping lever. There are three lugs on the vertical 
lever: The upper lug, the lower lug, and the lug inside of 
the bracket. 

There is a headless screw in the vertical lever bracket, 
the front end encircled by a spring. This spring forces the 
vertical lever back to its normal position after the lever has 
been pulled forward by the starting and stopping lever. 
When pulled forward, the upper lug strikes against the auto¬ 
matic stopping pawl forcing it clear of the upper stopping 
lever. This adjustment is made by means of the headless 
screw in the lever bracket. The proper adjustment forces 


125 


the stopping pawl % 6 °f an inch clear °f the upper stopping 
lever. The lug inside the bracket should permit the upper 
lug to clear the stopping pawl % 4 of an inch when the lug is 
at rest. This adjustment is made by turning the adjusting 
screw in the column opposite the headless screw. This screw 
regulates the stroke of the inner lug. 

Unless the upper vertical lug, after pushing the stopping 
pawls off the upper stopping lever, returns clear of the 
pawls, it would prevent the pawls from seating properly on 
the upper stopping lever. 

The adjustment of the lower lug of the vertical lever 
and the eccentric screw on the starting lever should be made 
by releasing the set nut on the eccentric screw and turning 
the screw until there is %2 of an inch between the screw 
and the lug. If this adjustment is not properly made it 
will interfere with the upper lug and throw it out of adjust¬ 
ment. 


Friction Clutch Hints 

To remove the friction clutch: Push in on the starting 
and stopping lever. Take out the fulcrum screw or remove 
the nut from the outer end of the clutch rod. Remove the 
clutch arm key screw. The clutch can now be removed. Be 
careful in replacing the friction to have the key with the 
bevel down and toward the back of the keyway. 

The driving pulleys or gear can be removed only when 
the friction clutch is removed. 

To remove the clutch rod spring: Remove the friction 
clutch. Unscrew the screw bushing from the end of the 
shaft, take out the screw extending through the collar, and 
pull out the clutch rod and the spring. 

If the machine stops on the upper stopping lever with a 
jerk, the inner side of the driving pulley or the friction 
clutch leathers are gummy or the friction is out of adjust¬ 
ment. 

The inner surface of the driving pulley must be kept 
clean. 

If the machine slows up while casting or ejecting, the 
clutch is slipping. 


126 


The 15 / S2 of an inch adjustment is made by the nut on the 
clutch rod on the old style, and by building up under the 
leathers on the new. 

The y 32 of an inch adjustment is made by the screw in 
the lower part of the upper stopping lever. 

The machine will not stop when the key screw in the 
clutch arm works loose, allowing the friction clutch to work 
toward the outer end of the shaft. 

A screw holding the clutch leather shoe in place, may 
extend above the shoe and cause the friction to slip. 

The friction link collar, where it fastens on to the clutch 
rod, should be parallel with the driving pulley or gear when 
the machine is in operating position; if not, there is unequal 
pressure on the links and shoes, causing a slipping clutch. 

Study the friction clutch adjustments, but do not change 
them every time something stops the machine. It is much 
easier to break an adjustment than to make one. 

A piece of metal from a squirt lodged between the mold 
disk guide or back of the rim on the disk will cause it to bind, 
placing more pull on the clutch. 

STAY BOLT 

The stay bolt passes through the main cam shaft bracket 
cap and screws into the column. The object of the stay bolt 
is to take the strain from the column. When the machine 
is in casting position with the pot locking against the mold, 
the mold and disk forcing against the vise, and the right- 
hand side of the vise locking against the stud, there is 
considerable strain on the column. If the column should 
spring, the vise would also move and the lockup would be 
imperfect. In applying the stay bolt, never tighten it with 
a wrench. If too tight, it will spring the bracket cap and 
cause the cam shaft to bind and the clutch will not drive the 
machine. Screw it in with your fingers until the head of the 
bolt bears lightly against the bracket. 

VISE AUTOMATIC 

The purpose of the vise automatic is to prevent the mold 
from coming forward and shearing the lugs of the matrices 
whenever anything prevents the first elevator from descend- 


127 


ing low enough for the first elevator adjusting screw to rest 
on the vise cap. 

The vise automatic consists of a stop rod, stop rod pawl, 
mold disk dog, and vise automatic levers. 

The stop rod is suspended and held upward by a spring, 
the top end of the rod extending through the vise cap and 
the lower end resting back of the lever which operates 
against the clutch rod. 

A little below center in the stop rod is the stop rod pawl. 
This pawl is held in place in a slot by a small coil spring 
which sets just back of the pawl in the stop rod. This 
spring, in addition to holding the pawl in place, also gives 
the pawl a little play which allows more of a bite when the 
pawl is placed in action. 

The mold disk dog is held in the vise frame by a screw 
which extends downward through a slotted hole in the dog. 
Inside the mold disk dog is a coil spring. This spring is to 
hold the dog back toward the mold and should be strong 
enough to keep the mold disk dog pin against the retaining 
screw when the vise automatic is not in action. 

When the first elevator is in its lowest position the vise 
automatic adjusting screw touches the' upper end of the stop 
rod and forces it downward. When the mold slide advances, 
the mold opposite the one in use pushes the mold disk dog 
out, above the pawl, and allows the machine to remain in 
action. However, should the first elevator fail to descend 
low enough for the stop rod to be pushed down, the dog, as 
it is advanced by the mold, strikes against the pawl and 
forces it forward against the vise automatic levers, stop¬ 
ping the machine. 

The mold disk dog must clear the automatic stop rod 
when the first elevator adjusting screw is resting on the 
vise cap. 

To make this adjustment turn the machine until the first 
elevator is resting on the vise cap. Move the adjusting screw 
so the stop rod pawl will just pass below the dog. To test, 
have machine in normal position, place a thin matrix on the 
vise cap under the first elevator adjusting screw. Pull out on 
the starting and stopping lever, setting the machine in 
action. The first elevator, not going to its proper position, 


128 


the driving clutch should be forced out of action by the vise 
matic. After backing the machine a trifle and removing the 
matrix, the machine should start. 

The machine will not stop when making this test, if 
either the lip of the disk dog, or the pawl is damaged. If 
damaged or worn, replace with new parts, as the vise auto¬ 
matic should always be in working condition. 

If the machine is delayed in stopping when the vise auto¬ 
matic goes into action, look at the 15 / 32 and y 32 inch adjust¬ 
ments on the friction clutch. 

When replacing the mold disk dog, be sure that the 
screw goes between the spring and the pin. This is accom¬ 
plished by turning the screw down until it is below the level 
of the pin. Then push in on the dog until the pin strikes the 
screw. Raise the screw slowly until the pin will just pass 
under the end of the screw, pushing in on the dog while the 
screw is being raised. Push in on the dog and turn the 
screw down just inside the pin. The screw will then be be¬ 
tween the spring and the pin. Be careful not to turn the 
screw down on the spring, as it will damage the spring and 
not allow the dog to operate. 

On the machines with four-pocket mold disks, the dog 
is pushed forward as the mold slide comes forward in eject¬ 
ing position. This action of the dog would operate the 
automatic, throwing the clutch out of action and stopping 
the machine at ejecting position. To overcome this action, 
there is a stop rod lever and bracket assembled on the vise 
frame in front of the automatic stop lever. The lever is 
fastened to the bracket by a fulcrum screw. One end of 
this lever carries a small roller, and the other end rests 
above a pin in the stop rod. The roller runs on a runway at 
the back of the first elevator slide on the right-hand side. 
The stop rod is pulled down below the mold disk dog by the 
lever until the slide moves downward, the roller follows the 
runway, when owing to a depression, the roller drops, re¬ 
leasing the lever and permitting the stop rod to come to 
operating position in front of the dog. As the slide moves to 
transfer position, the lever pulls the stop rod down below 
the dog. 


129 


FILLING PIECE AND SAFETY LUG 


Attached to all new machines is a filling piece that is 
known as the simple two-letter attachment. This attach¬ 
ment is fastened by two screws to the vise cap, and when in 
operating position, it prevents the first elevator from drop¬ 
ping down to normal position. This attachment permits the 
assembling of a line of matrices in the regular position and 
casting them in the auxiliary position. Whenever this at¬ 
tachment is used, the duplex rails on the assembling elevator 
must not be used. 

On all machines carrying headletter or special display 
molds, the simple two-letter attachment must always be 
used instead of the duplex rails. 

At the side of these special molds there is a small lug 
fastened to the mold disk. This is known as a safety stop. 
When operating a machine equipped with these special 
molds, if the simple two-letter attachment should not be 
placed in position, this safety stop would immediately come 
in contact with a safety plate, fastened to the first elevator 
back jaw, holding the first elevator off the vise cap and 
allowing the vise automatic to stop the machine, preventing 
a squirt, and damage to the first elevator jaws. 

MODEL 9 

The Model 9 is equipped with four superimposed inter¬ 
changeable magazines, any-one of which may be instantly 
brought into use by merely shifting a lever. These maga¬ 
zines are not interchangeable with the No. 5 magazines. 
The machine is built along the same general lines of all 
Linotypes and has a regular keyboard of 90 characters. 

The magazines may be changed from the front of the 
machine. Each magazine is provided with escapements 
controlling the delivery of the matrices. These escapements 
are actuated by a single series of escapement rods mounted 
in a frame on the assembler front. Each rod has four 
notches in its edge. Shifting the hand lever raises or lowers 
the frame in which the rods are assembled and connects 
their upper ends with the escapements of any one of the 
magazines. This same movement connects these rods 


130 


through one of the series of notches to the keyrods which 
are operated by the usual keyboard machanism. 

Each magazine has a standard type distributing mech¬ 
anism. The machine has a primary distributor box for all 
the magazine through which the matrices must pass be¬ 
fore passing to their regular distributor. The dropping 
of the matrices into their right magazines is governed by a 
series of slot combinations cut in the bottom of the matrix 
and a corresponding bridge placed in the primary box. A 
mixed line out of any two or all four of the magazines may 
be set in this machine, the matrices being separated in the 
primary distributor and then dropping into their regular 
magazine. 

TABULAR ATTACHMENTS 

There are two attachments in common use for setting 
tabular composition. These are the Chicago Lino-Tabler 
and the Rogers Tabular. 

The Chicago Lino-Tabler equipment can be used On 
any model machine with any font of matrices from 5 point 
up to and including 14 point. This equipment consists of 
twenty matrices, a broach, quad block and slide for cast¬ 
ing box rules, and special triangular-shaped brass rule for 
use between columns. 

The matrices are cut to run in the vertical rule channel. 
In the matrices are two small slots from which two lugs 
or fins are cast on the slug. When using these matrices on 
the models 9, 16, 17, and 24, the magazine in which they 
are to run must be designated. 

There are four styles of rule available, two hairline 
faces, a one-point face, and parallel rules. The rules are held 
on the top surface of the slugs, and are clamped down by 
bending the lugs or fins over with a make-up rule. 

Cross rule is cast in the regular slug form from the 
block and slide. Box headings or rule forms are made by 
using the broach which punches small triangular notches 
through the top edge of the rule slug. This permits the 
vertical rule to be inserted, forming a close joint. 

The Rogers Tabular can only be used on machines that 
are equipped with the attachment. When using this attach- 


131 


ment the matrices that run in the vertical rule channel are 
used in the assembled line where rules are wanted. From 
these matrices on the slug are cast two slots in which the 
rules are inserted. All other characters are punched .144 of 
an inch deeper than the standard, which necessitates using 
a low mold. When changing from regular to tabular, first 
turn the tabular mold into normal position; second, move 
lever which is attached to the eccentric pin in the mold cam 
lever so it is locked in the rear sector block. Doing so moves 
the mold slide forward the difference in the thickness of the 
regular and low mold. Third, loosen screw and turn eccen¬ 
tric bushing in pot lever half way, which moves pot forward 
the distance the mold slide has been moved. Fourth, con¬ 
nect one end of the return spring to the hook which is in 
the rear of the machine. This spring is for the purpose of 
relieving the mold cam lever of the added strain when the 
slug is moved from the line after casting. It is also neces¬ 
sary to use the tabular spacebands, which also can be used 
with standard matrices. 

ADVERTISING FIGURES 

To use the advertising figures it is necessary to have 
the machine equipped with a mold, the cap of which is 
thicker than the standard, also the universal knife block. 
When using the figures, which can be cast at any place 
in the line, open the knife so the figure will pass through 
without being trimmed. Leave space on the next line to sup¬ 
port the overhang. Close the knife so the slug will be 
trimmed. The grooves in this mold being ground parallel, 
the slug that is not trimmed will lock up without tipping 
against the one that is trimmed. 

MAKING MACHINE CHANGES 

When it is desired to change the size of type and measure 
on the linotype a definite procedure should be followed. 
There are eight distinct operations in making a complete 
change from one size to another. By following the same 
order each time there is less danger of forgetting one or 
more changes, which may cause damage to the machine. 
Any one of the eight changes can be made independent of 


132 


the other, but the habit formed by always keeping in the 
same order is a good one. 

The suggested order of changes is as follows: 

1. Change the mold liners. This is done when it is 
desired to change the length or thickness of the slug. 

2. Change the ejector blade. This is done when the 
length of the slug is changed. A blade six points in thick¬ 
ness will work on any thickness slug six points or above. 

3. Change the side trimming knives. This change must 
be made when the. thickness of the line is changed. 

4. Change the left hand vice jaw. This must be changed 
when the length of the line is changed. 

5. Change the assembler slide. This must be changed 
when the length of the line is changed. 

6. Change the line delivery slide long finger. This must 
be changed when the length of the line is changed. 

7. Change the magazine. This is to be changed when a 
different size or font of type is desired. 

8. Change the font distinguisher. This must be changed 
if the point size of matrices is changed. 

CARE OF THE MACHINE 

The following schedule of work should be performed on 
each machine in a shop or school, in regular periods as in¬ 
dicated by the caption under w T hich each item is listed. 

In a school where each student is to care for a certain 
machine, the various operations should be performed at a 
certain specified time, all students working on the same 
schedule at one time. 

In a shop where machinists do this work it will be neces¬ 
sary to form a regular routine including all the items of the 
working schedule, so that each machine will receive its 
proper care at a certain specified time. Of course it will be 
necessary to distribute this work so that it will not interfere 
with the productive time of the machine and so that the ma¬ 
chinists can have time to care for the ordinary machine 
troubles as they occur during the productive time. Much of 
the regular care of the machines can be done by helpers 


133 


outside the hours when the operators are at work. In making 
such a schedule, each machine should be listed, by number, 
for certain operations each day. In this way it will be a 
simple matter for the head machinist to check up on the 
work, for by referring to the schedule he can determine 
what work should be performed on each machine for any 
particular day. Of course, the schedule must vary in minor 
points in various shops, due to climatic conditions. Dirt is 
the chief offender in causing machine trouble, therefore the 
cleanliness of the building in which the machines are located 
will very frequently cause a variation in the working 
schedule. 

The following schedule will be found sufficient for the 
average linotype and if followed efficiently, will keep the 
machine in “pink of condition.” 

Daily Operations 

Wipe off the dust from the machine frame—the front, 
back, vise frame, underneath the pot, top of magazine, etc., 
using a rag and brush. With bellows or air hose, blow the 
dust out of the assembling elevator, keyboard, main drive 
cams, and all other places not reached with a brush, except¬ 
ing the metal pot. 

Clean the mold disk. Use a brass rule and rag. Remove 
all metal from the face and back of the mold, scraping the 
metal loose with the brass rule and wiping with a rag. Re¬ 
move all metal from behind the mold disk. 

Wipe off the mouthpiece with a rag, and scratch out the 
cross vents with a sharpened brass rule if they are filled 
or corroded. 

Lubricate the locking studs. Put a small amount of 
graphite and cup grease mixture on the mold-disk locking 
studs. 

Inspect the mold wipers. Examine the front and back 
mold wipers; see that they are in working condition. A small 
amount of graphite and cup grease mixture should be ap¬ 
plied to the back mold wiper. For the front mold wiper, wet 
the pieces of felt in gasoline and then apply graphite until 
well saturated. 


134 


Inspect the knife wiper. See that it works freely up and 
down. Straighten or replace flag, if needed. 

Inspect the pump stop lever. See that it is working. 

Inspect the vise-automatic dog. See that the vise-auto¬ 
matic dog and the stop rod are free from metal and that 
they move without interference. 

Apply graphite. With a very small amount of graphite 
on a magazine brush, rub the following: 

1. Line delivery channel. 

2. First elevator jaws. 

3. Front side of the intermediate bar in the elevator 
slide top guide. 

4. Slideway of the delivery. 

5. Transfer-slide slideway. 

6. Distributor-shifter slideway. 

7. Top and front edge of the second elevator bar plate. 

8. Second elevator upper guide. 

9. Back and side of the second elevator lower guide. 

Clean the plunger and metal pot. Clean the plunger in 
the cleaning box. Use a well-brush in the well. Open the 
holes on the side of the well, using the hook of the pot 
mouth-wiper. Skim the dross from the pot. 

Clean the spacebands on a smooth board, using graphite. 
See that no metal adheres to the spaceband sleeve, and that 
the dark spot on the sleeve is removed. 

Repair damaged matrices and spacebands. 


Weekly Operations 

Clean the distributor screws. Also clean the bearings of 
all surplus oil. 

Clean the surface of the main driving cams thoroughly. 

Test the vice-automatic. See that the vise-automatic 
stops the machine if the first elevator does not descend the 
full distance. 

Oil the machine. Put oil in all oil holes, using it sparing¬ 
ly in the places where there is not much wear. Parts sub¬ 
jected to heat should have plenty of oil. Wipe off all over¬ 
flow oil with a rag while oiling. A drop or two in oil holes 


135 



is sufficient for most of the holes. The late model machines 
will have grease cups instead of oil cups. If there is plenty 
of grease in the cup, give it a turn. Put a small amount of 
dry graphite in the various slideways. 

Note—While oiling give the machine a good general 
inspection. Watch for any loose parts or loose screws. 

Test assembler measures. 

Examine star wheel. Replace if necessary. 

Polish magazines. 

Measure thickness and height of slugs. 


Monthly Operations 

Clean the magazine and matrices. 

Take out all matrices which have the lugs sheared or 
damaged too much for good use. 

Take a matrix proof. This is done by running out all the 
matrices of each character and casting them on a slug. Then 
take a proof. 

Remove the main driving clutch, and clean the inner sur¬ 
face of the pulley and the leather buffers on the clutch shoes. 

Clean the surface of the keyboard rollers with soap and 
water. Sandpaper them if needed. 

Examine gas burners. Clean if necessary. 

Clean assembler plate and slide. 

Clean distributor box. 

Clean and dress commutator. 

Clean magnetic thermometer contact points on electric 
pots. 


MECHANICAL TERMS 

Adjusting Screw—A screw for taking up wear, or for 
shifting the position of some movable piece. 

Bushing—(1) A lining, usually of metal, for a hole. 
(2) A tube for insertion into an opening to reduce the 
effective diameter. 

Cam—A non-circular or eccentric rotating piece, often 
of irregular outline and giving motion that is irregular in 
direction, rate, or time. 


136 



Clutch—A power-transmitting device operating by fric¬ 
tion or interlocking, for securing or breaking rotative con¬ 
tinuity, as between two shafts or a pulley and a shaft. 

Collar—An annular enlargement of a shaft or axle, 
usually at or near the end. 

Cotter Pin—A split pin for insertion in the slot of a bolt 
to prevent it being drawn. 

Detent—A stop or checking device, as a pin, lever, etc. 

Dowel—A pin or peg, usually cylindrical, for joining to¬ 
gether two adjacent parts. 

Escapement—A mechanical device used for securing a 
uniform movement. 

Gear—Any set of appliances as of cog wheels, serving 
to transmit motion. 

Gib—A wedge-shaped or other piece of metal that holds 
another in place or presses two pieces together. 

Link—Any intermediate rod or piece for transmitting 
force or motion, especially a short connecting rod with a 
bearing at each end. 

Pawl—A hinged or pivoted piece, having a point, edge, 
or hook made to engage with ratchet teeth, as for driving a 
rachet-wheel, or preventing reverse motion; a click, de¬ 
tent, or ratchet. 

Pinion—A toothed wheel driving or driven by a large 
cog wheel. 

Segment—A geared wheel, cam, or pulley, the outline or 
efficient working surface of which is a section of the whole 
circle. 

Slide—A sliding part of a machine or implement. 

Slideway—A lengthwise bearing on which a piece may 
slide. 

Stud—(1) A pin having a large round head. (2) A 
short bolt having a shoulder. 

Turnbuckle—A form of coupling so threaded or swiv¬ 
eled that when connecting lengthwise two metal rods, it 
may be turned so as to regulate the length or tension of the 
connected parts. 


137 


THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 

Do not forget to form a regular schedule for the care 
of the machine. 

Model 5 magazines are interchangeable with models 4, 
8, 14, 18, 19, and 14-s-k. 

When using any font over 14-point it is necessary to have 
the machine equipped with headletter or special advertising 
figure attachment. 

Advertising figures can only be cast on machines that 
have the universal knife block. 

For two-line advertising figures, use 14-point figures 
with 6-point type; 18-point figures with 8-point type; 24- 
point figures with 10-point type. 

To pull out mold slide on machine equipped with univer¬ 
sal mold slide, disconnect the link from the lever. 

Do not open the vice when the mold slide is forward on 
the locking studs. 

Hair lines are usually caused by a collection of metal on 
the spacebands, breaking the walls of the matrix. 

Removing metal from the first elevator with a screw¬ 
driver will damage the elevator. 

Heating metal on the mold or disk with a burner will 
ruin the mold or disk. 

Without disconnecting the connecting link the vise can 
not be lowered to the second position unless the first elevator 
is resting on the vise cap. When lowering, pull out on the 
slide to prevent breaking the eyebolt. 

Eleven-point is the largest font that can be used in the 
model “K.” 

Oil on the buffers will cause the main friction clutch to 
slip. 

The assembler slide brake pawl is for the purpose of 
loosening a tight line so as to remove a matrix from the 
assembling elevator, not to put in one more. 

When metal gets into the mold cap screw in the mold 
disk after a squirt, do not hammer the metal with a screw¬ 
driver. To do so merely drives the metal tighter in the 
threads of the screw hole. Gouge the metal out with a knife 
a little at a time. 


138 


Most machine troubles are caused by dirt. Keep the 
machine clean. 

Do not change adjustments everytime something goes 
wrong. Be sure you knoiv what is wrong before attempting 
to fix a trouble. Trace all troubles to their source before 
attempting a remedy. 

One important point that should be watched is that in 
oiling any part of the machine which comes in contact 
with the matrices, no oil should be allowed to accumulate 
where it is liable to find its way on to the matrices. 

Clean the machine whenever necessary—otherwise let 
it alone. Be sure that any new inventions of your own are 
good before applying them. Do not take off parts unneces¬ 
sarily. The less you dismantle a machine, the more success 
you will have with it. But keep it clean. 

A large number of matrices and spacebands are lost by 
being swept up with the metal around the machine, and 
thrown in the remelting furnace. Matrices should always 
be picked up when dropped. A good plan is to have the 
person who sweeps up the metal to throw it in a special 
pile. It is very easy then for someone to look through the 
pile carefully, under good light, and find the matrices and 
spacebands that have been overlooked while sweeping. 
Matrices which have gone through a remelting furnace 
are usually no good for further use. 

Small job fonts can be used conveniently and economic¬ 
ally on any class of job work where only a few lines of 
display are required or in recasting for duplicate forms. 
These small job fonts may be carried in special trays and 
they can be procured either to run pi or run in the regular 
or auxiliary magazine. 

Brass hair spaces, very thin spaces, grading in .001 of 
an inch from .007 to .024 can be obtained. These spaces do 
not run in the magazine, but drop in the tray under the 
second elevator transfer. They are very handy for closely- 
spaced lines or for lines where it is desired to letterspace. 

The machine may be driven from any shaft having a 
uniform speed of rotation or by individual motor. A ma¬ 
chine requires one-fourth horse power but a motor slightly 
in excess of this should be used. These motors can be 


139 


belt driven or connected directly to the machine by gear. 
The speed of the machine should be uniform at all tims, for 
flucuations will interfere with the operation and tend to 
reduce the output and cause machine troubles. 

To ascertain the size of the pulley required on the driv¬ 
ing shaft, multiply the diameter of the main driving pulley 
on the machine (14i/ 2 ") by the number of revolutions de¬ 
sired and divide the product by the revolutions of the driv¬ 
ing (or motor) shaft. The quotient will be the diameter 
of the pulley required. 

MICROMETER CALIPER 

The chief mechanical principle embodied in the con¬ 
struction of a micrometer is that of a screw free to move 
in a fixed nut. The spindle of the micrometer is attached to 
the thimble at the top point, and extends downward through 
the inside of the sleeve; the thimble extending downward 
on the outside of the sleeve. The part of the spindle, which 
is concealed within the sleeve and thimble, is threaded to 
fit a nut in the frame of the micrometer. The pitch of the 
screw threads on the concealed part of the spindle are 40 
to the inch. Therefore one complete revolution of the spindle 
draws it back y 40 , or .025, of an inch. 

The sleeve is marked with 40 lines to the inch, cor¬ 
responding to the number of threads on the spindle. When 
the spindle is down against the anvil, the beveled edge of 
the thimble coincides with the lone 0 on the sleeve, and the 
0 line on the thimble coincides with the horizontal line on 
the sleeve. By turning the knurled thimble with the thumb 
and finger until the 0 line on the thimble again agrees with 
the horizontal line on the sleeve, the distance between the 
anvil and the bottom point of the spindle will be y 40 , or 
.025 of an inch, and the beveled edge of the thimble will 
coincide with the second vertical line on the sleeve. Each 
vertical line on the sleeve indicates a distance of y 40 , or 
.025 of an inch. Every fourth line on the sleeve is made 
longer than the others, and is numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., up 
to 0 or the capacity of the micrometer. Each numbered line 
indicates a distance of four times y 40 of an inch, or y 10 . 


140 


The beveled edge of the thimble is marked in twenty- 
five divisions, and every fifth line is numbered from 0 to 25. 
Turning the spindle from one of these marks to the next 
indicates that the spindle has been moved y 25 of .025, or 
one-thousandth of an inch. 

Hold the frame stationary and revolve the thimble with 
the thumb and finger. The spindle, being attached to the 
thimble, revolves with it, and moves through the nut in the 
frame, approaching or receding from the anvil. The measure¬ 
ment of the opening between the anvil and the spindle is 
shown by the lines and figures on the sleeve and the thimble. 

To read the micrometer, place the object to be measured 
on the anvil, turning the thimble up or down until it touches 
the object lightly. Multiply the amount of vertical divisions 
visible on the sleeve by 25 and add the number of divisions 
on the bevel of the thimble from 0 to the line which coincides 
with the horizontal line on the sleeve. 

For example, if there are 5 divisions visible on the sleeve 
and six lines showing on the thimble, multiply 5 by 25, and 
add 6. Total .131 of an inch. 

THE POINT SYSTEM 

Some time prior to the year 1450 Gutenberg invented 
the casting of metal type in molds. As the art of printing 
advanced, many new sizes were cast, but no attempt was 
made to cast them with a uniform gradation in size and it 
was difficult to build up one size of body to equal another; 
that is, justify them. 

To obviate this, Fournier, in 1737, advocated a method 
of casting type according to some unit. The size known as 
pica was in use in various countries in Europe, and was 
considered a standard size. Taking the pica as a basis he 
divided it into twelve parts, each of which he called a point. 
He chose one-twelfth of a pica as the unit because there 
existed five sizes of type between pica and nonpareil. As 
nonpareil was just half the size of pica, this made the 
succession of sizes seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven points, 
any of which could be justified with another by the use of 
material made to the same unit. 

The United States Typefounders’ Association finally 


141 


adopted it in 1887. It is the only system in use in first- 
class offices today. 

It is popularly supposed that six picas equal one inch. 
This is approximately so, but not absolutely, for six picas 
measure but .99648 of an inch. The American pica runs 
about three points less than 72 lines to the foot. Its actual 
measurement is .16608 of an inch. One-twelfth of this, or 
one point, is, therefore .01384 of an inch. 

When calculating the amount of type contained in any 
piece of composed matter, it is measured up in ems, and this 
em, or unit, is the em of the body. 

The square of each size of type is called the em of that 
body. Thus, the em of six-point is six points square; the 
em of eight-point is eight points square; and so on. 

EMS TO RUNNING INCH 

In estimating the amount of matter set, the following table of 
type measurement will be found useful. It shows the number of ems 
in a running inch, in columns from 10 to 30 picas wide, in seven dif¬ 
ferent sizes of type. The figures across the top denote the width of 
page or column in picas, and the figures below denote the number of 
ems to the column inch in the various sizes designated in the column 
to the left. 


WIDTH OF COLUMNS IN PICAS 



10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

6 

point . 

240 

264 

288 

312 

336 

360 

384 

408 

432 

456 

480 

7 

point . 

177 

194 

212 

229 

247 

265 

282 

300 

318 

335 

353 

8 

point . 

135 

148 

162 

175 

189 

202 

216 

229 

243 

256 

270 

9 

point . 

107 

117 

128 

139 

149 

160 

171 

181 

192 

203 

213 

10 

point . 

86 

95 

104 

112 

121 

129 

138 

147 

155 

164 

173 

11 

point . 

71 

79 

86 

93 

100 

107 

114 

121 

128 

136 

143 

12 

point . 

60 

66 

72 

78 

84 

90 

96 

102 

108 

114 

120 



21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

6 

point . 

504 

528 

552 

576 

600 

624 

648 

672 

696 

720 

7 

point . 

371 

388 

406 

424 

441 

459 

477 

494 

512 

529 

8 

point . 

283 

297 

310 

324 

337 

351 

364 

378 

391 

405 

9 

point . 

224 

235 

246 

256 

267 

277 

288 

299 

309 

320 

10 

point . 

181 

190 

199 

207 

216 

225 

233 

242 

250 

259 

11 

point . 

150 

157 

164 

171 

178 

185 

192 

200 

207 

214 

12 

point . 

126 

132 

138 

144 

150 

156 

162 

168 

174 

180 


142 



















































TEST QUESTIONS 
List No. I 

1. Describe the keyboard and magazine escapement action 

on models 5 and 8. 

2. How are the rubber roll taken out and cleaned? Why 

does the rubber roll shaft have a friction drive? 

8. How are the keyboard cam frames taken off? 

4. How are the keyboard cams cleaned and oiled? 

5. Describe how to take a keyboard off and clean it? Ex¬ 

plain in detail. 

6. How is a single cam taken out on an old style keyboard 

cam yoke frame? 

7. How is a single cam taken out on the new style key¬ 

board cam yoke frame? 

8. What should be done to the triggers before replacing 

the cam frame? Explain why. 

9. State the causes of more than one matrix dropping, or 

“‘running away.” 

10. What are the causes of matrices failing to respond to 

the touch of the keys? 

List No. II 

11. How is a verge on a Model 5 removed and a new one 

put in? On a Model 8? 

12. What operations are gone through to change a mag- 

zine on a Model 5? A Model 8? Give them in the 
proper order. How change the middle magazine on 
a Model 8? 

13. How is the matrix belt adjusted? What is the differ¬ 

ence between the matrix delivery belts on the differ¬ 
ent models? 

14. What adjustments should be made on the assembling 

elevator, the assembler slide brake and the chute 
spring? 

15. What is the purpose of the assembler star wheel fric¬ 

tion? What must be done to keep it working properly? 


143 


16. What gives the line-delivery slide its motion when de¬ 

livering a line? What controls the speed and how is 
it adjusted? 

17. What releases the line-delivery slide? How is it ad¬ 

justed? 

18. What returns the line-delivery slide to normal position? 

How adjusted on both old and new styles? 

19. How is the line-delivery slide adjusted when delivering 

a line? 

20. What is meant by “cleaning spacebands,” and how 

should they be cleaned? 

List No. Ill 

21. Explain how a spaceband is constructed? How should 

a spaceband be placed in a line. Why? 

22. How is the spaceband box removed? Explain in detail. 

23. What will cause spacebands not to respond? 

24. How do the spaceband box pawls get their motion to 

release the spacebands? Explain in detail. 

25. How are the spaceband box pawls adjusted? 

26. What prevents the release of two spacebands at one 

time? How is it adjusted? 

27. Describe how the thermostat controls the temperature 

of the metal, and how it is adjusted. 

28. Describe how the metal is heated in an electric pot. 

How is the heat controlled in the various heating 
units of an electric pot? 

29. What care does the electric pot and controller require? 

30. What care does the mold require? How would you re¬ 

place the mold in the disk after having it off? 

List No. IV 

31. At what temperature should the metal be kept? 

32. What happens when too much metal is in the pot? 

33. What does a slug show when the metal is too hot? 

34. What does the slug show when the metal is too cold ? 


144 


35. What does a smoth, bright bottom on a slug indicate? 

36. What are some of the causes of a defective face? 

37. How should the mouthpiece be cared for? 

38. How is the mouthpiece removed on the wedge style 

crucible? Screw style models? 

39. How is a “stuck” plunger taken out and cleaned? 

40. How is the metal pot adjusted? Give all adjustments. 

List No. V 

41. Explain the gas pressure controller. 

42. Explain throughly the care of the gas burner. 

43. What will cause matrix ears to bend in the distributor 

box? 

44. How is the distributor box lift adjusted? 

45. What causes matrices to clog in the distributor box and 

how are they removed? 

46. What will cause two matrices to lift at one time in the 

distributor box? 

47. What will cause matrices to fall in the wrong channel 

of the magazine, and what is the remedy? 

48. Describe the mechanism which drives the distributor 

screws? 

49. Explain the construction and action of the distributor 

spiral automatic. 

50. How is the first elevator adjusted? Give all the ad¬ 

justments. 

List No. VI 

51. How is the first elevator connecting link constructed? 

How is it adjusted, and what is the object of the 
adjustment? 

52. What is the purpose of the pump stop? Explain the 

action and adjustment of the pump stop. 

53. What is the purpose of the first elevator line stop? 

How replaced and adjusted? 


145 


54. Explain the construction of the first elevator two-letter 

jaws, and how it sometimes prevents the elevator go¬ 
ing high enough to allow the line to transfer after 
having a squirt. 

55. How should the metal be removed from the first eleva¬ 

tor jaw after having a squirt? 

56. What part of the first elevator should be kept perfectly 

clean and free from oil? 

57. What action has the recasting block on the first 

elevator ? 

58. Describe how a one-letter line is recast. 

59. Describe how a two-letter line is recast. 

60. What trouble would be caused by the first elevator 

slide not being adjusted to properly align with the 
transfer and delivery channels ? 

List No. VII 

61. What adjustments are there for the second elevator? 

62. What would cause the second elevator to be held at the 

distributor? 

63. When the second elevator does not descend, what causes 

the machine to stop? 

64. Give the adjustments of the elevator transfer slide. 

65. What is the releasing lever for in the first elevator slide 

guide, and how is it adjusted? 

66. What is the object of the intermediate bar pawl? 

67. How may the movement of the transfer and spaceband 

levers be interfered with? 

68. How does locking the spaceband transfer lever stop the 

machine? 

69. How does the spaceband transfer lever get its motion 

and how is it adjusted? 

70. When does the automatic safety pawl act? 

List No. VIII 

71. Describe the method and order that should be followed 

in making a complete change of the machine from 
one size to another. 


146 


72. How are the mold liners marked to distinguish size? 

73. How is the ejector blade held in place? 

74. What will cause a slug to be pushed out of a galley 

when being ejected? 

75. What is the purpose of the buffer spring in the ejector 

slide? 

76. What is the ejector-blade guide for, and what care does 

it require? 

77. What makes a slug higher on one end than on the other? 

78. How is the back knife adjusted? Explain in detail. 

79. How is a micrometer read? 

80. What is “type high”? 

List No. IX 

81. Explain in detail how the trimming knives are adjusted. 

82. What causes slugs to be off their feet, or lift, when 

locking-up? 

83. What part of an inch is a type founders point? What 

part of an inch is a linotype point? 

84. How are the decimal points of a slug found? 

85. When can the vice be opened to first position? 

86. When can the vice be opened to second position? 

87. Explain the construction of the main friction clutch. 

88. How is the collar connected to the clutch rod? 

89. What is the difference between the new and the old 

style clutch adjustment? 

90. How is the main driving clutch adjusted? Give the 

seven adjustments affecting the clutch. 

List No. X 

91. In what position should the starting lever be when 

making the adjustments on the friction clutch? 

92. What care should be given to the main friction clutch? 

93. How can you determine when the clutch is slipping? 

94. Give causes for the slipping of the clutch, and how 

you would remedy them. 


147 


95. What is the action of the automatic safety pawl when 

striking the upper stopping lever, and how does it 
effect the clutch to stop the machine ? 

96. State the purpose of the vise automatic, and tell how 

it is adjusted. 

97. How is the vise automatic adjustment tested? 

98. How are the matrix toes sheared when the vise auto¬ 

matic is out of adjustment? 

99. How is the mold slide adjusted? Give all adjustments. 

100. Describe the machine action from the time a line is in 

the assembling elevator until it has been distributed. 


148 


MECHANISM CLASS SCHEDULE 

(Lesson Index) 

The following class schedule was designed for one-hour class 
periods. It has been found from experience that the lessons may be 
covered in approximately one-hour class periods, except No. 20. Addi¬ 
tional study of each lesson will be found profitable where time permits. 


pages 

1. Keyboard, construction and action; taking off keyboard 

cam frames; cleaning and oiling keyboard cams. 3-10 

2. Taking off keyboard; taking apart and cleaning. 10-12 

3. Keyrods, escapements, magazines of various models_ 12-25 

4. Assembling elevator, assembler, assembler slide, 

assembler slide brake. 25-33 

5. Spaceband box; delivery slide. 33-42 

6. Metal pot, mouthpiece, metal pot adjustments. 42-52 

7. Pot lever; gasoline and gas burners; pressure, 

mercury, and thermostat governors. 52-61 

8. Electric pot. 61-68 

9. Molds . 68-73 

10. Distributor bar, channel entrance, distributor screws, dis¬ 

tributor clutch plate and stopping bar, distributor clutch; 
construction of spiral automatic. 73-80 

11. Distributor box; matrix lift cam. 80-87 

12. First elevator slide and adjustments; first elevator jaws; 

construction of the connecting link. 87-94 

13. Second elevator and adjustments; main cams. 94-98 

14. First elevator slide guide; transfer slide adjustments; 

spaceband lever, pawl, and turnbuckle. 98-101 

15. Mold slide; lever and slide; mold disk locking studs and 

blocks; ejector slide and blade; universal ejector.101-107 

16. Mold knife adjustments; adjustments of trimming 

knives; knife wiper.107-114 

17. Mold gear arm; mold turning cam; square block; justifi¬ 
cation levers; vise, vise jaws, pump stop.114-122 

18. Driving shaft, friction clutch and adjustments, vertical 

lever, upper and lower stopping levers, automatic stop¬ 
ping and safety pawls, stay bolt.122-127 

19. Vise automatic; filling piece and safety lug.127-130 

20. Dismantling and reassembling, under the supervision of 
the instructor 


149 




















Index 


PAGE 


Adjustable Mold, 36-em. 71 

Advertising Figures. 132 

Advertising Mold. 70 

Assembler . 28 

Assembler Slide . 31 

Assembler Slide Brake . 31 

Assembler Troubles . 33 

Assembling Elevator . 25 

Assembling Elevator, to Take Off ... 28 

Auxiliary Lever . 93 

Auxiliary Magazines . 21 

Burner, Gas . 55 

Burner, Gasoline . 55 

Banking Strips, Mold . 109 

Cams, Main . 95 

Carbolite Mold . 71 

Care of Electric Metal Pot . 65 

Care of the Machine. 133 

Causes of Bad Assembling. 33 

Channel Entrance . 74 

Chute Spring . 28 

Class Schedule, Mechanism. 149 

Cleaning a Magazine. 23 

Cleaning Matrices . 24 

Cleaning the Throat of Crucible .... 44 

Connecting Link, First Elevator 

Slide . 92 

Cracked Crucible . 44 

Current Consumption . 67 

Display Molds . 70 

Distributor . 73 

Distributor Bar . 73 

Distributor Box . 80 

Distributor Box, Lower, Models 2 

and 4 . 83 

Distributor Box, to Remove . 87 

Distributor Box Matrix Lift Cam... 84 

Distributor Clutch . 76 

Distributor Screws . 75 

Distributor Screw Guard . 76 

Distributor Spiral Automatic . 78 

Distributor Stopping Mechanism ... 77 

Distributor Troubles . 84 

Duplex Rails . 26 

Duplex Rail Operating Blocks. 99 

Ejector Blade . 105 

Ejector Blade, to Change . 105 

Ejector Guide Block . 105 

Ejector Slide . 104 

Ejector, the Universal. 106 

Electric Metal Pot, Care of. 65 

Electric Pot . 62 

Electric Pot Definitions . 61 


PAGE 


Elevator. Second . 94 

Ems to Running Inch . 142 

Escapement Mechanism . 14 

Facts and Suggestions About Trim¬ 
ming Knives . 112 

Failure of Matrices to Respond (See 

Keyboard Troubles) . 7 

Failure of Matrices to Respond (due 

to Troubles Above the Keyboard) 23 

Filling Piece, First Elevator . 130 

First Elevator Jaws . 90 

First Elevator Jaws and Slide. 87 

First Elevator Jaw Line Stop . 92 

First Elevator Slide Connecting Link 92 

First Elevator Slide Guide .. 98 

Friction Clutch . 122 

Friction Clutch Adjustments . 123 

Friction Clutch Hints . 126 

Fuses . 68 

Gas Burner . 55 

Gas Burners, to Remove . 58 

Gas Pot Hints . 57 

Gasoline Burner . 55 

Governor, Mercury Gas . 59 

Governor, Pressure . 58 

Governor, Thermostat Gas . 59 

Headletter Mold . 70 

Hints, Friction Clutch . 126 

Hints, Gas Pot . 57 

Hints, Magazine . 24 

Hints, Mold . 72 

Justification Levers . 118 

Keyboard . 3 

Keyboard, to Take Apart . 10 

Keyboard Parts . 4 

Keyboard Cams, Cleaning the . 9 

Keyboard Cams and Parts . 4 

Keyboard Cam, to Remove . 6 

Keyboard Cam Frames, to Remove.. 9 

Keyboard Layout . 9 

Keyboard Rubber Rolls . 6 

Keyboard Troubles . 7 

Keyrods . 12 

Keyrods, Auxiliary . 13 

Knife Block . 109 

Knife Block, Wedge Style . Ill 

Knife, Mold . 107 

Knife Spring Plate . Ill 

Knife Wiper . 113 

Knives, Trimming . 109 

Line Delivery Slide . 39 

Line Stop, First Elevator Jaw ...... 92 

Locking Studs and Blocks . 104 


150 
































































































PAGE 


PAGE 


Magazines . 

Magazines, Auxiliary . 

Magazines and Escapements . 

Magazine, Cleaning a . 

Magazine Channel Entrance . 

Magazine Hints . 

Magazines, Split . 

Magazine, Removing a . 

Magazines, Removing, New Models 8 

and 14-s-k . 

Main Cams . 

Making Machine Changes . 

Matrix Carrier Belt .„•. 

Matrices, Cleaning . 

Mechanism Class Schedule . 

Mechanical Terms . 

Mercury Gas Governor. 

Metal Pot . 

Metal Pot Adjustments . 

Metal Pot Plunger . 

Metal Pot, Removing a .. 

Micrometer Caliper . 

Model K . 

Model L .. 

Model 14, Single Keyboard . 

Model 9 . 

Molds . 

Mold, Universal Adjustable. 

Mold, Recessed. 

Mold, Display and Headletter. 

Mold, Advertising. 

Mold, Carbolite. 

Mold, 36-em Adjustable. 

Knife Wiper, Old Style. 

Mold Turning Cam Adjusting Shoes. . 

Mold Banking Strips . 

Mold Disk Locking Studs and Blocks 
Mold Driving Shaft Friction Clamp . 

Mold Gears, Retiming . 

Mold Hints . 

Mold Knife. 

Mold, Removing and Replacing .... 

Mold Slide . 

Mold Turning Cam, Square Block, 

and Pinion . 

Mold Wipers . 

Mouthpieces . 

Mouthpiece, to Remove a . 

Plunger, Metal Pot . 

Pressure Governor . 

Point System . 

Pot, Electric. 

Pot Lever ... 


Pot Returning Cam Shoe . 53 

Pump Stop . 121 

Questions, Test . 143 

Recessed Mold . 69 

Releasing Lever . 99 

Removing a Pot . 54 

Removing a Magazine. 18 

Removing a Magazine, New Model 8 

and 14-s-k. 20 

Retiming Mold Gears. 116 

Safety Lug, Mold Disk. 130 

Second Elevator Safety Catch . 95 

Second Elevator . 94 

Second Elevator Starting Spring . . 95 

Slug Troubles . 54 

Spacebands, the . 33 

Spaceband Box . 35 

Spaceband Box, to Remove. 36 

Spaceband Box Pawls, to Replace .. 38 

Spaceband Box Pawls and Rails .... 38 

Spaceband Lever . 100 

Spaceband Lever Pawl . ioi 

Spaceband Troubles . 37 

Spiral Automatic . 78 

Split Magazines . 21 

Spring Plate, Knife. m 

Stay Bolt . 127 

Star Wheel .:. 29 

Stuck Slug, Removing a . 107 

Tabular Attachment . 131 

Test Questions . 143 

Things You Should Know . 138 

Transfer Slide . 99 

Trimming Knives, Facts and Sugges¬ 
tions . 112 

Trimming Knives . 109 

Troubles, Distributor . 84 

Troubles, Slug . 54 

Thermostat Gas Governor. 59 

Throat and Mouthpiece Heaters 

(Electric) .64 

Universal Adjustable Mold . 69 

Universal Ejector. 106 

Verge, to Remove a . 23 

Vise, the . 119 

Vise Automatic . 127 

Vise Jaws .. 121 

Vise Justification . 118 


15 

21 

14 

23 

74 

24 

21 

18 

20 

95 

132 

32 

24 

149 

136 

59 

42 

49 

42 

54 

140 

22 

22 

13 

130 

68 

69 

69 

70 

70 

71 

71 

114 

115 

109 

104 

116 

116 

72 

107 

73 

101 

114 

71 

45 

47 

42 

58 

141 

62 

52 


151 






















































































































































































































